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CHOIR
The ‘Choir of Kaliningrad Cathedral’ was formed in 2004 and consists of 8 professional singers. It is an honour to bear the name of this church which is a symbol for the city of Kaliningrad, the former Königsberg.
The choir’s repertory consists in the first place of Russian Orthodox liturgical songs which, as is customary in the Russian Orthodox church, are sung in rounds (without musical accompaniment). Besides these, they also perform folk songs from Russia, White Russia, the Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia. Their repertory also includes songs from Germany and Eastern Prussia (after the War the German East Prussia of which Königsberg was the capital was divided between Poland and the Soviet Union) and from Italy and Scandinavia. During concert tours in the Christmas period they also perform Christmas songs from the Ukraine and Poland.
Leader of the choir is Elena Kramarenko. After completing her study as singer and conductor at the Music School of Kaliningrad she went on to the University of Culture and the Arts in Saint Petersburg.
The liturgical repertory includes works by Bortnyansky, Rachmaninov, Lvov, Tchaijkovsky and Dubyansky.
The press is fulsome in its praise of the choir. Breathtaking, clever, outstanding, surprising, disciplined and authentic Russian are among the terms used to describe them.
During the summer season the choir restricts its concerts to Kaliningrad itself. In that period the city is visited by many tourists, most of them from Germany. During the winter months the choir tours Western Europe, in particular Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. While on tour the choir appears as a smaller group, consisting of 8 men and lady singers.
The choir can be invited to give a concert in Western Europe if that can be fitted into their tour schedule (see ‘contact’). Many of the concerts are combined with a collection for the restoration of the cathedral or for homeless children or help for the elderly in Kaliningrad.
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Elena Kramarenko
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