Orthodox Christian Music Symposium Announced for June 2020

Orthodox Music Symposium – 5/1/2020

Registration now opens for the New York event. 

Yonkers, NY – Registration is now open for the 2020 Pan-Orthodox music symposium which will take place here, Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, June 14, 2020, on the campus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVS).

The event, co-hosted by SVS (www.svots.edu) and the International Society for Orthodox Church Music (www.isocm.com) will explore the theme of “Music as Liturgy,” with masterclasses, keynote presentations, and workshops. The event is designed for choir directors, singers, chanters, composers, musicologists, church school teachers, clergy, youth leaders, readers, and those interested in developing their liturgical music skillsets.

“This Symposium, hosted in collaboration with St. Vladimir’s, represents an exciting new development for both ISOCM and the Seminary in the promotion and understanding of Orthodox church music in the English-speaking world,” according to Protopresbyter Ivan Moody, chair of the ISOCM board.

The 8 masterclass topics include:

• Vocal Techniques
• Choral Leadership
• Introduction to Liturgical Conducting
• Advanced Liturgical Conducting
• Byzantine Chant for Beginners
• Advance Byzantine Chant
• Composing in the Orthodox Context
• Engaging Young People with Music

Each masterclass will provide participants with 6+ hours of concentrated learning over three days, taught by experts in the field of liturgical music. The complete schedule is available at https://www.orthodoxmusicsymposium.org/schedule

Workshop sessions will explore other themes for application in parish life:

• Introduction to liturgical theology
• Training for reading and chanting
• Arranging settings for voices
• Achieving a unified choral sound
• Para-liturgical activities
• Choosing the repertoire for your choir

“What’s unique about this gathering, among the many other church-music events, is the range of offerings,” said Peter Bouteneff, Ph.D., Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. “I can hardly think of anyone involved in church music at any level or from any chant tradition who will not gain from our time together. That said, perhaps the people who will benefit the most are singers, choir directors, and composers seeking to ‘up their game.’”

The symposium will also feature 3 keynote addresses exploring the theme “Music as Liturgy,” and a music reading session of new compositions written in honor of the noted American Orthodox composer, the Archpriest Sergei Glagolev.

The full schedule, presentation abstracts, speaker biographies, along with information about the registration fees and hotel reservations are available at www.orthodoxmusicsymposium.org

Seating is limited for some of the masterclasses, so early registration is encouraged. Participants who complete their registration before Sunday, March 15, 2020, will receive a discounted rate.

For more information about the symposium, visit: www.orthodoxmusicsymposium.org

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About the International Society for Orthodox Church Music
Founded in 2005, the ISOCM seeks to provide an open platform for musicians, musicologists, singers, and composers that encourages dialogue, the exchange of information and ideas and inspires cooperation. The Society sees the promotion of communication between East and West as one of its priorities and hosts biannual conferences, at the University of Eastern Finland on its Joensuu campus. The Society also hosts regional symposia and gatherings elsewhere throughout the world to help create opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of knowledge in the field of Orthodox liturgical music.

For more information about the ISOCM, visit: www.isocm.com

About St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary serves Christ, his Church, and the world through Orthodox Christian theological education, research, and scholarship, and the promotion of inter-Orthodox cooperation. The pan-Orthodox graduate school of theology within the canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) is located in New York’s Westchester County. The Seminary’s programs are registered by the New York State Education Department and are accredited nationally by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The Seminary grants the degrees of Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.), Master of Theology (Th.M.), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), and Master of Arts (M.A.).

For more information about the Seminary, visit: www.svots.edu

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