Amadeus
A-Capella Choir

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We are in the process of organizing a U.S. tour
for the exceptional Vladimir A-Capella choir, Amadeus.

LISTEN

These mp3 file downloads are
tracks from Amadeus' CD

Track #6
Track #13

BIOGRAPHY

Founded in 1993, the vocal ensemble Amadeus has performed to critical and audience acclaim throughout Russia and Europe.  They have given concerts  throughout the Vladimir region, and, among other places, in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Italy.  They have not yet toured the United States, but they have regularly performed for small, but very appreciative American audiences at the American Home in Vladimir.

The group is a unique collection of soloists.  This makes it possible for Amadeus to fully explore the potential of a wide variety of choral music and to present concerts of unparalleled variety, depth, and beauty.

In January 2001 the ensemble was among the 20 leading Russian choirs that were invited to participate in the 10th annual international Christmas festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.  (Christmas is celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on January 7.)

The ensemble also won the Grand Prix at the choir festival in Sarov, Russia in 2001.

Tenor Alexander Kovlegin, a founding member of the group, has been the ensemble's conductor and artistic director from the beginning.  He is a graduate of the prestigious Glinka Conservatory in Nizhnii Novgorod.  In addition to leading Amadeus, Kovlegin is a professor of choral music at the Vladimir State Pedagogical University.

The other remaining founding member of the group, alto Galina Shilova, teaches piano and choir at one of Vladimir's highly regarded special arts schools.  Her children's choirs have won numerous prizes over the years, and she has toured widely as a soloist with the Vladimir Chamber Choir and with Amadeus. She is a graduate of the Vladimir Music College and the Moscow State Culture Institute.

Alto Natalya Krinitsina is also the conductor of a prize winning children's choir at a competing Vladimir arts school. She is Alexander Kovlegin's assistant.  Natalia graduated in 1998 from the Vladimir State Pedagogical University with a degree in conducting.

The group's lead soprano, Natalya Kalyonova, is also a graduate of the Vladimir State Pedagogical University. She teaches in the same children's music program as Galina Shilova where she is the conductor of the senior children's choir.

One of the newest members of the group, soprano Olesya Voroshilova, graduated from the Vladimir Pedagogical College with a degree in music and world arts and culture. She is currently a student at the Vladimir State Pedagogical University. She hopes to sing professionally.

Soprano Yuliana Simanenkova, Amadeus' newest female vocalist, graduated from Klintsi Pedagogical College in 2000 and is continuing her study of music at the Pedagogical University in Vladimir.  

The ensemble's lead tenor, Evgeny Raptev, was a soloist in the boy's choir at the prestigious Choral Music Center of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus from which he graduated in 1999.  He recently graduated from Vladimir State University with a degree in applied mathematics and is currently working in the University's research center.

Artyom Klimenko, the group's lead bass, graduated with honors from the Choral Music Center of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus.  He has earned two degrees from Vladimir State University in 1999 and, most recently, from the faculty of Chemistry and Ecology.  He is now working on a graduate degree.

The newest male member of the group, bass Nikolai Poleshchuk, graduated from Klintsi Pedagogical College in 2000 and is currently studying music education at the Vladimir State Pedagogical University.

  REVIEWS

"Kovlegin does not ignore a single detail, and the sonorous subtleties are worked out with great thoroughness. This can be seen both in the polished articulation and in the dynamic which can freely and intensely develop from exquisite piano to forte.

"At the end of the truly thrilling performance the large audience fervently applauded the ensemble."  Walter Seitz, Weissenberg, Austria

"The choir works with a wide range of musical compositions. The ensemble is as skilled in the field of Russian classical music as in the field of folk and pop music. The choir considers itself to be an ensemble of eight soloists.  This professional background explains their original repertoire and unusual style of interpretation."  GUNZENHAUSEN, Erlangen, Germany

"The ensemble of eight soloists won the hearts of the audience first of all with their powerful and expressive voices that filled the whole space of the church even when performing the quietest passages of songs. ... Burgomaster Thomas Schmeider (Erlangen, Germany) stressed that the concert had been the best thing that had happened in the community in the recent past. 'The singers are no more foreigners, they have become friends from Eastern Russia.'" KULTUR, Erlangen, Germany


"Often one motion of the conductor Alexander Kovlegin was enough to make the choir sing with great discipline and exactness and emit amazing sound and musical harmonies. The artists who crowned the concert with a brilliant performance of 'Hallelujah' from Handel's 'Messiah' were rewarded by a ceaseless storm of applause."

"Authentic Russian folk songs never sound tasteless or kitschy when performed by "Amadeus". This choir destroyed all the prejudices regarding Russian choral singing in Windeseile ? and thus all the listeners thanked the musicians with a storm of applause."  LOKALES FLZ, Erlangen Germany

"In the course of their concert in the town of Treuchtlingen the "Amadeus" ensemble presented vocally powerful works as well as more exquisite, delicate and filigreed compositions.  The performance of the vocal group from Russia proved that there are still great cultural resources worth sharing in Europe."  Treuchtlingen und, Erlangen, Germany

For more information or
to book a concert
please email us, or
phone us at (309) 454-2364

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