Part 4: The Future of Sacred Music – One Man’s Story – Looking Forward

/in

With the support of the PaTRAM Institute™ and other sponsors, Nektary assembled the Combined ROCOR Male Choir consisting of just over fifty singers from Australia, America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In December 2019, the choir performed three concerts in the New York City area and sang two hierarchical services in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign with His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion and His Grace Bishop Nicholas officiating. PaTRAM™ Chairman and Co-Founder, Alexis V. Lukianov, sang in Nektary’s choir as one of the oktavists.

While in New York, Nektary had the opportunity to sit down with Alex and Katya Lukianov to talk about the future, and not just about the future of Nektary’s choir, but his own personal future as a singer, composer, and conductor. To further the spread and development of the sacred choral arts, PaTRAM is always seeking people like Nektary who are not only talented but deeply passionate and devoted to sacred music and their faith. With PaTRAM’s help, Nektary will have continuing support in his musical education to further develop his own innate talents.

Nektary is currently receiving conducting lessons from Maestro Benedict Sheehan and continuing his work with the Russian Orthodox Male Choir of Australia. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the choir was still able to virtually enter the Moscow Multicultural Music Festival which is an annual festival that consists of hundreds of choirs from Russia and beyond competing for the top prizes.

Video PaTRAM Those Were the Days my Friends

Nektary’s own original arrangement of the folk composition, “Those Were the Days My Friend” (click on above image) was awarded the prize of “Winner of the 1st Degree” and the choir’s other entry, a performance of “Kyrie Eleison” which was a composition by Patriarch Ilya II of Georgia, received the Grand Prize award as the best piece in the competition. The Russian Orthodox Male Choir of Australia was also invited to perform at the 100-year celebration of ROCOR and the commemoration of the Holy Royal Martyrs which was held at the prestigious Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, an event that was televised in Russia. The choir is planning on recording a Folk Song CD at the end of this year for release in 2021.

If you enjoyed reading this story and seeing how the future of sacred choral music is being sustained and invigorated by PaTRAM Institute and young, talented musicians like Nektary, please consider supporting our Aspiring Church Musician Online Training Scholarship program. There are many dedicated church conductors and singers currently awaiting the opportunity to study with our Master Teachers and improve their skills and knowledge.

The goal is $2000, which will help further Nektary’s education and allow a new student to begin lessons with a PATRAM Master Teacher.  Your generous donation will provide online lessons and the encouragement necessary for students to achieve their personal best.

We believe Nektary and others like him are the future of Orthodox music. Please help support the educational programs which nurture church musicians and allow them to create beautiful and prayerful singing to the Glory of God.

Your donation is tax-deductible and thanks to generous support from the Lukianov Family Foundation, which covers all our administrative costs and overhead, 100% of your donation will go directly to funding talented church musicians and creating educational opportunities to sustain the development of choirs around the world for years to come. We thank you for your support!