Rovdo International Choral Competition
The First Rovdo International Choral Competition will take place on May 14-16, 2021 in the Republic of Belarus. The competition is conceived to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous choral conductor of Belarus of the 20th century.
More than 1000 singers from different countries of the world will gather in Minsk to exchange musical experience, present their abilities to each other, which will be evaluated by an international jury.
For 3 days, everyone will be able to enjoy wonderful singing by attending competitive auditions of the participants.
For one weekend Minsk will become a place where from 20 to 40 choirs will perform, 6 master classes from top choir experts from all over the world will take place: Belarus, France, Russia, Latvia, Estonia and the USA.
Art Director
Art Director of the Rovdo International Choral Competition – INESSA BODYAKO – one of the world-renowned musical figures and choral conductors of Belarus Chairman of the Board of the Belarusian Association of Choral Conductors, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Choral Conducting and Artistic Director of the Student Choir of the Belarusian State Academy of Music, laureate of numerous international competitions.
From 1997 to 2007 – choirmaster of the Honored Collective of the Academic Choir of the National State TV and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus. Founder and director of the cantemus chamber choir (2000-2005), winner of numerous prizes at prestigious international competitions and festivals in Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Belarus, participant in charity events and concerts in Belarus and abroad. From 1998 to 2010 – choir director of the Orthodox Church in honor of the Nativity of Christ (village B.Stiklevo).
In five international competitions, choirs led by Inessa won the highest award of the Gran-Prix competition (Minsk, Gorizia, St. Petersburg, Guangzhou, Grodno).
From the very beginning of his conducting career, I. Bodyako promoted, along with traditional forms, the choral theater as a new synthetic form of choral performance.
Under the direction of Inessa Bodyako, the Student Choir of the Academy of Music prepared the first performance in Belarus of a large number of compositions from G. Handel and J. Haydn to M. Palmery and J. Rutter, from N. Sidelnikov to E. Eschenvalds, as well as numerous choral cycles and works of Belarusian authors A. Mdivani, N. Litvin, O. Molchan, A. Savritsky, K. Yaskov and others).
Inessa Bodyako constantly takes part in the work of the jury of republican and international choir and conductor competitions, conducts master classes in Germany, France, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, China, Belarus, participates in international conferences. Inessa is the author and initiator of numerous creative and educational choral projects in Belarus, such as the V. Rovdo Open Competition of Choral Conductors, Choral Pages of the XX century, the festival “VIVA Choir!” and etc.
The circle of scientific interests is choral sacred music.
Inessa Bodyako represented Belarus in the ECA-EC Music Commission (2013-2015). Today she is a member of the World Choir Council (Interkultur Society), Honorary Professor of Anyang Pedagogical University (China), holder of the Grant of the President of the Republic of Belarus in the field of culture (2018) and the diploma “Person of the Year in the Field of Culture” (2018), awarded the badge of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic Belarus, the medal of Francysk Skaryna.
Partners
Organizers: Belarusian Union of Musical Figures and its structural subdivision the Belarusian Association of Choral Conductors with the support of the Ministry of the Republic of Belarus.
The Belarusian Association of Choral Conductors (BACD) was created in January 2017 by an initiative group of active musicians in Minsk. The goal of the Association is to unite figures of choral art, to participate in the formation and development of the choral culture of Belarus, to popularize national choral music in the Republic of Belarus and abroad, to carry out educational activities, as well as to promote all useful creative initiatives both from the leadership of the NGO BSMD and from any member of the BACD.
BACD is the organizer of a number of unique choral projects for Belarus: the cycle of concerts “Choral Legends”, which brings together on one stage more than 300 singers from the youngest age to professional groups; an educational workshop “Summer Choral Academy”, during which choirs from any region of Belarus can improve their professional skills, participate in creative meetings, lectures and master classes of the best representatives of the choral arts of Belarus and Europe; online-challenge, publication of collections, master classes and creative meetings with colleagues from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Argentina, etc.
Competition partners: “CONSULAT-F”, “Bel-Orientir” .
Where are we?
Belarus…
How much strength, dignity, faith, kindness and love are in this word. Belarus – White Russia. White means light, pure, innocent.
The republic in the very center of Europe stretches over 207.6 thousand square kilometers and in its shape resembles either a maple leaf or a mighty Bialowieza bison. It borders in the north-east and east with the Russian Federation, in the south with Ukraine, in the west with Poland and Lithuania, in the north-west with Latvia. Belarus is small, but it is an important transport corridor between East and West.
For centuries Belarus has been a crossroads of numerous trade routes. Here, literally, east and west, north and south met. The geographical position of Belarus made it open to the influences of other cultures. Perhaps, it is thanks to this that one of the main features of the Belarusian character was formed – tolerance, tolerance for other religions, views, views. One has only to enter into a conversation, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the warmth and ease of handling typical of Belarusians. Guests are loved here and are always ready to help.
The Belarusian rivers carry their waters calmly and majestically, inhaling the coniferous smell of a pine forest. Corners of untouched nature have been preserved, where no human has yet set foot, but where animals and birds that have long disappeared from European forests feel very comfortable.
Where will the competition take place?
Today Minsk looks young, although it can rightfully be proud of its age – after all, the city is older than Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Vilnius. How old is Minsk? The capital recently celebrated its 950th anniversary! Almost rebuilt after the devastating Second World War, today it is a city with wide streets, large parks, beautiful architecture, and many good places to have a good rest. At first glance, the Belarusian capital enchants with an abundance of greenery and an unusual number of parks and squares for a large city.
I would like to know even more about our capital, then especially for you the most interesting facts:
- It is called home by about 2 million people. Thus, one and a half times more people live here than in the whole of Estonia.
- The Minsk Botanical Garden is ranked third in Europe in terms of area after the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London and the park in Madrid. The area of the Botanical Garden is 96 hectares. Rare plants are collected on an area of 96 hectares.
- The oldest fountain in Minsk was first launched in 1874 and is still a decoration of the Alexander Square.
- In Minsk, there are about 67 days a year when the city is shrouded in fog (for equal in London – only 45). The most foggy month in the Belarusian capital is November (see interesting facts about London).
- Since its foundation, Minsk has completely burned out and rebuilt 18 times.
- Minsk has its own sea – this is how the Zaslavskoye reservoir is often called, located about 10 kilometers from the capital.
- There are about 844 thousand trees growing in Minsk, and every fourth of them is linden (see interesting facts about trees).
- During the war, Minsk was the Soviet capital of jazz – a Jew from Germany Eddie Rosner, who was fleeing the Holocaust, actively performed in the city. After the war, jazz was considered unsuitable music for Soviet citizens, and Rosner was sent to prison camps for ten years.
- The National Library of Belarus, a state-of-the-art building called “Chupa-Chups” by the inhabitants of Minsk, is one of the most modern libraries in Europe. The unusual shape of the building is so large that 2 football fields can fit on each floor. The automated system delivers books and documents to readers in just 20 minutes – the fastest library service in the world.
But in reality, it is better to see once than to read several times! Welcome to Minsk! It doesn’t matter if you are from Europe or America, or maybe you live at the North Pole – Minsk will always welcome you and will definitely surprise you!