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Meet Stelios Kontakiotis
Stelios Kontakiotis, principal soloist Stelios Kontakiotis is protopsaltis (first chanter) of the Holy Temple of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on the sacred island of Tinos, Greece, one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in Greece. Mr. Kontakiotis was born in Athens and grew up on the island of Amorgos (Cyclades-Greece). He began his
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Oregon ArtsWatch: “For prayer, in performance”
Thank you to Daryl Browne and ArtsWatch for the fantastic preview of our Frank La Rocca: Requiem for the Forgotten concert series (March 28-30, 2025): “Two choirs will be on “display” at Cappella Romana’s upcoming concert series on March 28 (in Seattle), and March 29 and 30 (in Portland). The first choir, The Benedict Sixteen, is
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The Fall of Constantinople — Program Notes
Greeks and Latins had lived uneasily together in the Eastern Mediterranean ever since the sack and occupation of Constantinople (1204–61) by crusader knights. During the 14th and 15th centuries, however, the shrunken Byzantine Empire and the remaining Western colonies were often forced to cooperate in desperate attempts to defend themselves against the Ottoman Turks. This
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Cappella Romana presents a free open rehearsal for donors and subscribers, completes recording of Music for Christmas by Richard Toensing
For this remarkable project, Richard Toensing composed an ambitious new a cappella work for Cappella Romana, requiring two choirs (24 singers), three male soloists (the Magi), treble and baritone duet (Christ), and soprano soloist (the Mother of God). Entitled “The Kontakion of the Nativity of Christ,” Toensing set an English translation of the majority of
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Meet Composer Tikey Zes
May 18-20 during the Be Radiant, O Peoples! tour, Cappella Romana will premiere a new work by composer Tikey Zes. Cappella Romana has a long history of working with Mr. Zes, including a whole CD of his Choral Works which was one of the ensemble’s earliest releases, and a new work on the Angelic Light
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LIVE IN GREECE: From Constantinople to California – Part Five
As we approach the release of LIVE IN GREECE: From Constantinople to California, we’ll be sharing some excerpts from the liner notes to give you a bit of background into the programming of this recording. Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Younger Byzantine Contemporaries Two younger contemporaries of Frank Desby who were strongly
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Rachmaninoff: Divine Liturgy Reviews Are In!
Thanks to all who made it out to the concerts this weekend! The reviews are in: From The Oregonian: “Friday night’s performance of the Divine Liturgy at St. Mary’s Cathedral was indeed drenched in sumptuous sonic pleasure. “It was a marathon for the singers, a vast text amounting to nearly 18 program pages of Old
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Cappella Romana returns to the recording studio this month!
Heaven and Earth, with John Tavener’s Ikon of Light. Guest post by Richard Barrett, Artistic Director of The Saint John of Damascus Society In July 2012, nine years ago this month, my friend Dr. Harold Sabbagh and I had initial conversations about a spark of an idea. He was infectiously enthusiastic about CERN’s then-recent confirmation
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St. Tikhon Choir Gives a “Stunning Debut”
Cinemusical gives stars across the board to the Saint Tikhon Choir’s recording of Benedict Sheehan’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on Cappella Records: “The work is a blend of liturgical components (litanies, various antiphons and hymns, an “Our Father”, communion, blessing) and psalm settings (Sheehan adapted Psalms 145 and 148). There are references to ancient
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More Praise for Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia in MusicWeb International
Mark Sealey adds his voice to the growing list of reviews of Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia on MusicWeb International: “From the first note, we hear dedication, focus, energy, a balanced and measured concentration on – as far as is possible in our noisy world – how the monks and lay staff of the Hagia
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Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia at Bing Hall – Livestream
Now by livestream — Icons of Sound: Hagia Sophia Reimagined! Cappella Romana livestreams Part 1 of the triumphant November 2016 performance at Stanford University’s Bing Hall. This was the first time in the world that a full concert had been produced with the digital auralization of the acoustics of Hagia Sophia. For this concert, consider
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