Nine days, three cities, four concerts, 51 young singers. Kantiléna, the children's and youth choir of the Brno Philharmonic, is preparing for a prestigious American tour, presenting mainly Czech composers to local audiences.
"We've prepared Dvořák, Martinů and Smetana, as well as contemporary composers such as Ivan Hrušovský, Pekka Kostainen and others," said Michal Jančík, Kantiléna's choirmaster. Representing Brno and the Czech Republic on concert and competition tours abroad is an integral part of Kantiléna's work, but this is the first time it will be going overseas in many years. "All the singers are looking forward to it; many of them have never been to America before and I'm sure it'll be the experience of a lifetime for them. Of course, in addition to the concerts, the main focus of our tour, we have a lavish accompanying itinerary. I think most of the singers can't wait to see New York for the first time," said Jančík. He's been preparing the tour with fifty singers for several months. "Above all, we want to look for things the two cultures have in common. That's why part of the repertoire includes works by Antonín Dvořák, who as director of the New York Conservatory helped Americans find the roots and form of American music. We'll also be performing compositions by Bohuslav Martinů, another composer who spent part of his life here. When we collaborate with the choir in Philadelphia, we'll be singing two American traditionals in excellent choral arrangements," explained Jančík.
The first concert is scheduled for 11 February at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, followed by the Bohemian National Hall in New York, where the choir will present a diverse Czech repertoire. The concert in Philadelphia is highly anticipated. "That's where we'll be teaming up with the local Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, a highly prestigious ensemble. We're really looking forward to working with them. We'll be performing Shenandoah and When the Saints Go Marching In together at the end of the gala concert. We're still rehearsing individually at the moment and won't be singing together till we get there, but I'm sure it'll all go well," says Jančík. The tour will conclude with a concert of sacred music in the Astoria district of New York, featuring works from various eras from the Renaissance to the present.
Kantiléna is one of Europe's leading children and youth choirs. It has won dozens of international competitions, the most recent success being two first prizes at the international Lisbon Sings competition in 2022: an absolute victory in the Youth Choir category and a gold medal in the Sacred Choral Music category. The choir was founded in 1956 and has three sections, made up of around 130 children aged 5 to 19. Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená and tenor Pavel Černoch, for example, who are among the world's most renowned singers, are former members of Kantiléna. Michal Jančík is Kantiléna's artistic director and principal choirmaster.
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