New Version of Abraham oratory: World Premiere in Moscow
On May 31, the expanded version of Baruch Berliner’s oratorio Abraham will premiere at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Moscow as part of the Easter Festival’s closing event.
The oratorio was inspired by the biblical narration of Abraham, the forefather of the Jewish people.
The oratorio “Abraham” was expanded and arranged by the talented Moscow composer Andrei Pospelov.
Andrey Pospelov is a composer and teacher of musical theoretical disciplines.
He is the author of chamber and symphonic works, music for stage productions and media, and the artistic director of the creative association “Room Underground”, which promotes modern academic music.
Andrey is the winner of a special prize at the second All-Russian competition “Score” in the category “symphonic work of large form” and third place at the first Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors in the category “composition”.
The oratorio is performed by a choir and a narrator, accompanied by a symphony orchestra and organ. The choir sings in Hebrew with the spoken text recited in Russian.
The oratorio will be performed by:
• the Academic Combined Choir of the Mendeleev Choir Congress, conducted by Boris Tarakanov (a project of the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology);
• the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Kosygin State University (Maimonides Academy);
• harpist Yankelika Sushkova-Irina;
• Marina Omelchenko
• conductors: Igor Berendeev and Boris Tarakanov.
• Anton Kukushkin
• The concert will be hosted by the voice of Moscow’s public transport, actress Yulia Romanova-Kutina
Dr. Sushkova-Irina, who will perform the harp solo, is a professor and director of the Maimonides Academy Institute at Kosygin Russian State University. A holder of the Merited Educator title, she has initiated and led projects in musical culture and education, including festivals, forums, conferences, music competitions, opera productions, summer schools, and symphonic, chamber, choral, and jazz-pop performances.
Associate Professor at the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting and the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at Kosygin Russian State University, Igor Berendeev is a semifinalist of the International Conducting Competition in Portugal and a laureate and Grand Prix winner of an international competition in Turkey. Mr. Berendeev is the founder and conductor of the MoMOb (Youth Music Society) project, with which he has presented several Russian and world premieres in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He also leads international master classes in Russia and abroad.
Prof. Boris Tarakanov is a conductor, choirmaster, writer, and the creator of the Boris Tarakanov Music Archive—the largest free online music score repository. He is a full member of the Russian Union of Journalists of Russia, president of the Chorus Inside annual international non-profit choral art festival, and a member of the Executive Committee of the All-Russian Choral Society. Prof. Tarakanov is the artistic director and chief conductor of the Academic Choir of the Moscow Metro. He conducts monthly master classes on choral conducting and management in Russia, Italy, Turkey, and other countries.
Marina Omelchenko is the chief organist at Moscow’s Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the artistic director of The Art of Good charity foundation. During her extensive tours, she has performed in some of the world’s major cathedrals.
Anton Kukushkin, who will perform as the narrator, is an actor and a laureate of the Yakov Smolensky All-Russian Recitation Competition. He has worked at the Moscow Academic Theater of Satire, the Center for Dramaturgy and Direction, as well as the Praktika, Modern, and Gogol-Center theaters.
Produced by Nachum Slutzker.