American Choral Music in Kiev and Minsk

Ira Spaulding and John Ferguson returned to Kiev and Minsk with a program of highlights of American choral music. In a project featuring intensive work with the Gliere Academy choir in Kiev and the Music Academy choir in Minsk, works by George Gershwin were performed by both choirs. Also heard was the rarely performed song cycle by African-American composer, Roland Hayes. In Kiev, American Voices was please to perform for and meet the students of the Children’s Academy of Art and hope to work together with them in 2005!

Excerpts of the concert in Minsk were recording.

Sincere thanks to our sponsors of these projects: The US Embassies in Minsk and Kiev, and Austrian Airlines. Another round of thanks to our superb musical partners in these projects, the Music Academy of Minsk and the Gliere Academy of Kiev.

Sponsors:
 
US Embassies in Minsk and Kiev
Austrian Airlines

With the additional support of:
 
Superb musical partners
Music Academy of Minsk and the
Gliere Academy of Kiev

Comments from the Press:

GERSHWIN’S DESCENDENTS
By Nadzeya Buntsevich

Kultura Weekly, No 19, May 8-14, 2004

They say that the ancestors of the renowned American composer, George Gershwin, who was the first to combine symphony music with jazz, come from Belarus. So maybe there are his descendents still living in this part of the world? One could see it is true during a second visit to Belarus of the U.S. musicians John Ferguson and Ira Spaulding. Mr. Ferguson is a pianist and Artistic Director of the non-governmental organization “American Voices,” Mr. Spaulding is a conductor and vocalist.

Last year the American musicians participated in a similar joint cultural project in Belarus: the first part of their program included a recital of African-American spirituals and in the second part they performed together with the Choir of the Belarusian State Academy of Music headed by the Distinguished Artist of the USSR, Professor Victor Rovdo.

Along with the solos by Ira Spaulding, the audience enjoyed solo appearances by Tatiana Gavrilova, senior student of Professor Kolas’ class, and by Svetlana Konanchuk, sophomore student of Professor Nizhnikova’s class. Small solos were also given to the choir singers. It was a really professional as well as extremely sincere and emotional performance, of which they could be jealous in the best theaters of the world. I do mean theaters, not just concert auditoriums, because the drama composition of the performance was filled with contrasts, dynamic and free singing as well as subtle artistic nuances.

In the first part of the program, the U.S. artists performed "The Life of Christ," known for its spectacular performance by Roland Hayes. Hayes, acclaimed tenor, was well recognized for performing Negro spirituals not only in the United States but also in Europe. The recital by Spaulding and Ferguson included a number of various pieces remarkable for a fine balance between open theatricality and precise chamber singing. Mr. Spaulding impressed the audience with his rare gift of impersonating the Bible characters and amazing use of the quiet voice that borders on whisper and sometimes on "vocalized silence."

Small wonder that the first concert, for invited guest only, was followed the next day by another performance open to general public. On the second night, the concert auditorium could not hold all who came to listen to the American Voices.

The encore performance this year featured the already familiar excerpt from "Porgy and Bess" -- "It's Ain’t Necessarily So." This piece is notable for the phrases and movements the choir has to repeat after the soloist. No matter how many times Ira Spaulding had practiced that piece with the choir, every new performance sounded and looked new and fresh thanks to the exceptional improvisation of the conductor. The Belarusian singers could not resist playing up to maestro Spaulding, as it was entertaining to both the artists and the audience.

“American Voices” Back In Minsk

Victor Gavrilenko (Svobodniye Novosti Plus, April 23, 2004)

We would like to reassure the vigilant citizens concerned over the state ideological chastity: it is not in the least “the voices” you have thought about. John Ferguson and Ira Spaulding from “American Voices” came in Minsk to perform concerts.

John Ferguson, a famous pianist, founded this non-for-profit organization about ten years ago and he has been its permanent artistic director since then. Ira Spaulding is known for many music connoisseurs as a conductor and a popular baritone. “American Voices” is dedicated to promote American culture in other countries and particularly in those where the access to the information about the U.S. is restricted and the links with American cultural figures are virtually inexistent. It looks like in the eyes of the American musicians Belarus is just that type of a country.

“American Voices” was in Minsk a year ago. At that time as well as today the musicians performed concerts together with the choir of the Academy of Music under the direction of the People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor Victor Rovdo. John Ferguson thinks very high of him. He said: “We are absolutely amazed at the high quality of choir singing.”