Perm Hosts the First International Choral Festival ‘Mlada A Cappella Perm’

Photo by Vitaly Koksharov

The festival was attended by 15 ensembles from Russia, China, and Belarus, with over than 10,000 spectators from Perm.

The key artistic feature of the I International Choral Festival ‘Mlada A Cappella Perm’ was a cappella choral singing aimed at preserving and developing the finest traditions of mass choral performance in Russia. The mission of the festival is to make Perm as a new centre of the music festival movement. The event was held under the authority of Eduard Sosnin, the Mayor of Perm.

The festival opened on May 29 with a ‘Friendship Concert’ at the Organ Hall of the Perm Regional Philharmonic. Participants included a high school choir from Qingdao (China), the chamber choir “Salutaris” from Minsk (Belarus), as well as the headliner – Perm’s ‘Mlada’ choir.

“I am very glad that there are more and more events where we can hear choral singing. For four days, we will enjoy wonderful music. People from different countries have come together to once again prove that music knows no borders, distances, or barriers," said Eduard Sosnin, the Mayor of Perm, in his greeting speech at the Friendship Concert.

The festival’s official opening took place on May 30 on the city esplanade. Each of the 15 groups presented themselves with a piece performed a cappella. The opening ceremony also featured the premiere of a special composition created for the festival by Perm composer Sergey Kharchev and performed by the “Mlada” choir.

A meeting with the festival participants was held in Perm City Hall, where they discussed cooperation in the cultural sphere and shared their impressions of the festival’s start with Perm officials.

Four festival venues operated simultaneously across different districts of Perm: the city esplanade, the amphitheater on the Kama embankment, The Chekhov Park of Culture and Recreation, and in the Happiness Park.

The festival concluded with a unique closing event on June 1 at the amphitheater on the embankment. A 500-voice choir comprising all festival participants, joined by the audience, performed popular compositions together in a mass choral performance.

“We thank all the groups, and of course, Perm residents for taking part in this true celebration of music! The festival proved again that our voices are stronger together!” noted Olga Vyguzova, Artistic Director of the Festival and Honoured Art Worker of Russia.

The festival was held by the “Mlada” Academic Choir, a finalist of the grand TV show “All Together! In Unison!” and winner of the All-Russian competition “The Battle of Choirs!”. Altogether, more than 10,000 Perm residents attended the festival venues.