Shamritskiy Oleksiy
Ukraine
Kiev
The Chamber Choir « Sophia » was founded in Kiev in 2008 by the young choirmaster Ivan Bogdanov.
The repertoire of the choir is mainly composed of motets and madrigals of Lasso, Monteverdi and other Renaissance composers, performed in concerts all around Ukraine. With the time, the repertoire of the choir expanded to include liturgy of Serbian and Russian composers, such as Rachmaninoff, Tchaïkovski, Arkhangelsky, Chesnokov, Schnittke etc. The choir also offers pieces from Ukranian folklore.
The Choir « Sophia » got the first prize in May 2013 as the first Prize laureate at the International Choral Contest « Victoria ».
Since then, the choir has performed in different projects and events, some of them are :
In 2013, the choir participated in the recording of the rock opera “Orpheus et Eurydice” performed by a young very talented Ukrainian composer, Michael Brunsky. On 7th August 2018, this opera has been put on show and played at the national Opera in Odessa with the participation of the choir « Sophia ».
In May 2014, the choir « Sophia » was the winner of the first prize at the XXXIIIth International Festival « Hajnowka 2014 »in Orthodox Music.
Further the invitation of the organisation committee of the « XIV International Concerts of Sacred Music », the choir has performed in a series of concerts in Gizhitsko (Poland) in October 2014.
In April and May 2015, the choir has performed in a series of concerts in Germany and Poland (Erfurt, Weimar – Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt)
In May 2017, the choir « Sophia » has participated with success at the Festival Harmony Lindenholzhausen (Limbourg, Germany). The first prize in the « Spiritual Music » category has been won by the choir, as well as the Gold certificate in the « Modern Music » category and the « Best choirmaster » diploma.
In July 2017, the choir « Sophia » has won the Grand prix of the 56th International contest « Seghizzi » in italy (Gorizia).
And to finish, in May 2018, the choir won the first prize of the XXXVIIth international Ecclesiastical Orthodox Festival « Hajnowka 2018 ».