Maestro Vladimir Minin (Conductor)
Vladimir Minin is a People's Artist of the USSR, a recipient of the State
Prize of the USSR, a Cavalier of the Order "For Services to the Fatherland" (3rd
and 4th class), recipient of the Order of Honour, Professor, Chair of the
Moscow branch of the All-Russian Choral Society and initiator and permanent
Artistic Director of the Moscow State Academic Chamber Chorus.
Vladimir Minin was one of the first to present works on the concert stage by
Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, Chesnokov, Grechaninov and Kastalsky that
had previously been banned in the USSR. He also frequently performs
contemporary music. Works have been dedicated to the conductor by Rodion
Shchedrin and Georgy Sviridov. Giya Kancheli entrusted Minin with the Russian
premieres of four of his works.
In July this year in Sochi came the IX World Choir Games. This grandiose
festival of song, held in different countries throughout the world every two
years, saw the participation of over fifteen thousand performers from thirty-six
countries. Vladimir Minin formed part of the international jury of the Choir
Games and the International Choral Council as a representative of the Russian
Federation.
Vladimir МININ is the national actor of the USSR, laureate of the USSR State premium, the USSR M.Glinka's State premium, holder of the order « For merits before Fatherland » III and IV degrees, Order of Honor, professor, founder and permanent art director of the Moscow state academic chamber chorus.
The Moscow chamber chorus creation in 1972 in the State musical - pedagogical Gnessin's institute became the remarkable event both in Vladimir Minin's creative biography and musical culture of Russia.
« Creating the Moscow chamber chorus, - remembers V.Minin, - I aspired to resist to the idea developed in the Soviet consciousness about chorus as mass of botchers. I wanted to prove that the chorus is the highest art, but not the mass singing. In fact, the task of choral art is the person spiritual perfection, emotional and sincere dialogue with the audience. The aim of this genre is the audience catharsis. Musical compositions should stimulate a person’s reflection - what for and how he lives. What you create on the earth - the good or the evil, reflect on it... And this aim does not depend neither on time, nor social formation or presidents. The major purpose of chorus is to talk about national, philosophical and state problems ».
Vladimir Minin with the Choir toured a lot all over the world.
One of the most remarkable tours was the chorus participation during 10 years (1996-2006) in the Opera festival in Bregenz (Austria), tour performances in Italy, last tour in Japan and Singapore in May - June, 2009 (six concerts - in Tokyo, two - in Sapporo, one in Osaka and Yokohama, 2 concerts in Singapore). Two concerts in Vilnius (Lithuania) were especially significant (June 20-21st, 2009) as they were performed within the framework of the XI International festival of Russian sacred music.
The constant creative partners of chorus are the best symphonic orchestras of Russia: the Russian National Orchestra under baton of M.Pletnev, the Tchaikovsky Big Symphonic Orchestra under baton of V.Fedoseyev, the Svetlanov’s State Academic Symphonic Orchestra under baton of M.Gorenshtein, chamber orchestras: « Virtuosos of Moscow » under baton of V.Spivakov, and « Soloists of Moscow » under baton of Y.Bashmet, etc.
Within the framework of cooperation with the Russian National Orchestra (RNO in February, 2009 the Moscow Chamber Chorus presented to the audience G.Bize's opera "Carmen", as well as masterpieces of the West-European sacred music. Concerts in the Big hall of Moscow conservatory had a tremendous success where "Paukenmesse" by J. Haydn (April 3, 2009, conductor - V.Minin) and Oratorio « Christ on Olive mountain » by L.V. Beethoven (April 10, 2009, conductor - M.Pletnev) were performed.
In 2009 on the occasion of the 80-anniversary and 60-anniversary of creative activity V.N.Minin was awarded with the Order of Honor. The TV-channel "Cultura" shot a documentary film « Vladimir Minin. From the first person ».
The Chorus plans to open the new concert season 2009-2010 at the Bolshoi theatre where within the framework of continuing cooperation with the RNO and M.Pletnev will present Grieg's suite « Per Gunt».
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