Anniversary of the Magnitogorsk Capella

On Trinity Sunday, June 8, the famous Semyon Eidinov Magnitogorsk Choir Capella celebrated its 80th anniversary in the magnificent Cathedral Hall of Moscow. The legendary ensemble was created during the Great Patriotic War in the distant South Ural city, the very city famous for producing the best tank armor in the country for the legendary T-34 tanks. Young choir conductor Semyon Eidinov took on the task and created a choral ensemble that is now among the top five choirs in Russia.

The Moscow concert featured an unusual program. Based on the musical masterpiece of modern classic Rodion Shchedrin—his "Russian liturgy" *The Sealed Angel*, inspired by Nikolai Leskov’s story of the same name—a literary-choral performance was staged. The narrator was the brilliant actor from the Evgeny Vakhtangov Theatre, Evgeny Knyazev, who held the two-hour performance in one breath and amazed the audience with his profound interpretation of Leskov’s text. The idea for this unique creative project, which utterly captivated the Moscow audience, belonged to the artistic director of the Magnitogorsk Capella, Nadezhda Artemyeva. She also conducted the choir, creating a mesmerizing performance from Rodion Shchedrin’s incredibly complex score, blending the narration of Evgeny Knyazev, solo singers, and a flutist.

After the celebratory evening, Evgeny Knyazev praised the artistry of the Magnitogorsk Capella and its chief conductor, Nadezhda Artemyeva, saying, "It was probably the Angel himself who helped us."

Nadezhda Artemyeva added, "The artists of the Magnitogorsk Capella had a week of intense touring to the holy sites of the Golden Ring of Russia in honor of the 80th anniversary. It is symbolic for us that our final performance took place in the Cathedral Hall of the capital."