Help Cappella Romana

Cappella Romana

Portland, Oregon

Cause Description:
Founded in 1991, Cappella Romana is a vocal chamber ensemble dedicated to combining passion with scholarship in its exploration of the musical traditions of the Christian West and East, with emphasis on early and contemporary music. Its name is derived from the medieval concept of the Roman oikoumene (inhabited world) which included not only "Old" Rome and Western Europe but also "New Rome" (Constantinople) and its commonwealth of Slavic and Syriac countries. Flexible in size according to the demands of the repertory, Cappella Romana consists of some of the finest professional singers in the Pacific Northwest. The ensemble has a special commitment to mastering the difficult Slavic and Byzantine repertories in their original languages, thereby making accessible to the general public two great musical traditions that are little-known in the West. Leading scholars have supplied the group with their latest discoveries, while its music director has prepared a number of the ensemble's performing editions from original sources. In the field of contemporary music, Cappella Romana has taken a leading role in bringing to West Coast audiences the works of such European composers as Ivan Moody, Michael Adamis, Arvo Pärt and John Tavener, as well as promoting the work of North Americans. Cappella Romana's concerts — which have included numerous world and American premieres — have consistently been praised by critics for their unusual and innovative programming. The ensemble has repeatedly engaged guest artists such as noted conductor Paul Hillier, chant specialist Ioannis Arvanitis and composer Ivan Moody. The ensemble tours regularly and has released two compact disc recordings on the Gagliano label, Tikey Zes Choral Works and When Augustus Reigned. Its 2002 opening concert, "Music for the Fall of Constantinople," will be featured by Oregon Art Beat on Oregon Public Television in April 2002.

Type: Hunger/Homelessness
Listed on iGive since: December 2001
iGive members supporting: 1

Website: http://www.cappellaromana.org

To support Cappella Romana with a free iGive account, click here!