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Meet Robert Kyr
Photo taken from “Peace Work” (Portland Monthly)Photo by Stuart Mullenberg Tomorrow (Friday, May 18th), Cappella Romana will kick off the weekend’s Be Radiant, O Peoples! series, and will be premiering works based around the Easter Canon of St. John of Damascus from contemporary composers. One of these works is by the prolific composer Robert Kyr,…
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Arctic Light: Orthodox Choral Music from Finland — Program Notes
Arctic Light Orthodox Choral Music from Finland The history of Orthodox Christianity in Finland goes back to the 12th century when trade was initiated between Carelia and traders from Novgorod. The early establishment of monasteries in Karelia, especially Valamo (Valaam) and Konevitsa on the islands of Lake Ladoga, and later, at Petsamo (Pechenga, on the…
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Tchaikovsky’s Divine Liturgy: Program Notes
Russian choral artistry, and especially its sacred choral singing, has long enjoyed the admiration of the Western musical world. After hearing the Choir of the Imperial Chapel of St. Petersburg in 1844, Robert Schumann wrote in his diary that “the Chapel is the most wonderful choir we have ever had the occasion of hearing.” Tchaikovsky…
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Keeping Up with the Venetians — Part Two
Keeping Up With The Venetians Continued from Part One Program Notes for Venetian Baroque: Galuppi + Vivaldi + Bortniansky Galuppi further exceeded his contractual duties by teaching composition to some of the Cappella singers. One such singer was the Ukrainian Dmitro (or more commonly Dmitry) Bortniansky. When Galuppi left St. Petersburg in 1769, he took…
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Psaltikon: The Day of Resurrection
The Historical Development of Easter The celebration of Easter (i.e., Pascha) for Orthodox Christians commences on Saturday morning with a Vesperal Liturgy that comprises psalms, hymns, and Old Testament readings, followed by the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Pascha is formally inaugurated several hours later, at midnight, in a rush of blazing candles, exuberant…
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Ivan Moody Talks Akáthistos Hymn With iClassics
“The harmonies are lush and dark in Russian style, though periodically the shadows disperse as in a cloud-break and the sound brightens. The effect over the whole hymn is of a slow revelation of light and warmth over an ancient musical ground.” (Willamette Week) “Something new, substantial, and profound” (Sunday Oregonian) Standing Room Only — Ivan…
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Robert Kyr Receives Arts and Letters Award
A Time For Life composer Robert Kyr has been awarded the prestigious Arts and Letters Award given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The award honors outstanding artistic achievement by a composer who has arrived at his or her own artistic voice. In addition to an honorarium, the award offers funds toward music…
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Byzantine Music in Cyprus
Manuscripts of Byzantine chant copied through the middle of the fifteenth century show that Cyprus remained closely tied to the musical mainstream of Byzantium. The two hymns (stichera) from the Greek office for St Hilarion included on the present recording are excerpts from a longer sequence of hymns interpolated on the eve of his feast…
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Ivan Moody: From Darkness to Light
The From Darkness to Light programme is a journey in more than one sense. Firstly, it takes us from spiritual darkness (the condition which is cured, according to Orthodox Christian tradition, by metanoia, a change of heart) to light, the radiance of the Resurrection of Christ, by which mankind is made new. Secondly, it takes…
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Living Memories
Introduction: Modern Greek Poetry and Memory Living Memories SEATTLE Fri 14 Nov 2O25, 7:3O PMSt. James CathedralFirst Hill, Seattle PORTLAND Sat 15 Nov 2O25, 2:OO PMHoly Trinity Greek Orthodox ChurchLaurelhurst, Portland “Eternal memory” is the final chant of funeral and memorial services in the Byzantine rite of Christian liturgy. Ancient in origin, this simple exclamation…
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Memory Eternal: Father Ivan Moody
Cappella Romana’s March 8-10 Concert Series, In You, O Woman Full of Grace, is performed in memory of our dear friend, Archpriest Ivan Moody (11 June 1964–18 January 2024). The performance will also feature the premiere of Robert Kyr’s “Memory eternal, in remembrance of Fr. Ivan Moody”. May his memory be eternal. With faith in…
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From Constantinople to California – Program Notes Part Two
The Eastern Roman Empire—commonly called “Byzantium” after the ancient name of its capital Constantinople — not only survived the downfall of Rome by a millennium, but also created a musical tradition that remains both alive and influential today. In From Constantinople to California Cappella Romana will follow this tradition from its medieval origins to contemporary Los…
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