Arts, Culture Can Build Bridges Between US, Russia During Difficult Times - Chorus Chair

(@FahadShabbir)

Arts, Culture Can Build Bridges Between US, Russia During Difficult Times - Chorus Chair

Culture can help build bridges between the American and Russian people even during times of profound disagreements between their two countries such as over Ukraine and sanctions, the chair of the Schiller Institute New York City Chorus Jennifer Pearl told Sputnik

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2022) Culture can help build bridges between the American and Russian people even during times of profound disagreements between their two countries such as over Ukraine and sanctions, the chair of the Schiller Institute New York City Chorus Jennifer Pearl told Sputnik.

"Absolutely, we are ready to participate in building cultural bridges. That is the mission of our chorus: to promote peace, collaboration and friendship among cultures and nations through music. It is very important," Pearl said.

The chorus has more than 80 members and does concerts in cities throughout the United States. The chorus' repertoire includes music from different countries from around the world.

"Each nation has a very unique culture, but there is also something very universal," Pearl said. "I think you can see that in the folk music of every nation and in the culture. You see it in classical music, in poetry, there is a universality of all of mankind and uniqueness among each culture. I think the more you can come to understand another nation's culture, you come to understand more about yourself."

The Schiller Institute Chorus began singing Russian music in December 2016, when 64 musicians of the world famous Alexandrov Ensemble died as a result of the Tu-154 plane crash near the Russian resort city of Sochi.

The Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army - Russia's foremost military and folk music ensemble - was two times awarded with the first Soviet military decoration - the Order of the Red Banner. The choir was founded by Gen. Maj. Aleksandr Aleksandrov, a prominent Soviet artist and composer. From 1946 to 1987, the ensemble was headed by his son, Gen. Maj. Boris Aleksandrov.

Last December, the Schiller Institute New York City Chorus presented a tribute to this renowned Russian ensemble with a ceremonial program and musical offerings.

"We had an event where we sang two Russian folk songs and also the hymn written by Russian composer Alexander Grechaninov," chorus secretary and treasurer John Scialdone told Sputnik.

Since 2015, the chorus participated in the Immortal Regiment marches in New York City and online. The first Immortal Regiment, a Russian tradition that commemorates the millions of people who died fighting against Nazi Germany during the Second World War, gathered for the first time in 2012 in the Russian city of Tomsk, and the tradition has spread to other countries, including in the United States.

In 2020, the chorus participated in the online Immortal Regiment by performing the famous Russian song "Katyusha," and is ready for a repeat this year.

"If there is an online event, we would be very happy to participate," Scialdone said. "We could offer the videos from our previous performances."

The organizers of the Immortal Regiment in the United States told Sputnik earlier that they are going to hold an online conference dedicated to the 77th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945.

When asked whether the ensemble is facing difficulties because it performs Russian music in the current geopolitical circumstances, Scialdone noted the chorus spoke out against such approaches.

"The idea of discriminating against an entire class of people, whether it is a nation, or ethnicity, or anything like that, is terrible. This is what the world faced in the 1930s in Nazi Germany, the idea to condemn the entire nation or category of people. This is inhuman," he said.

Scialdone expressed confidence that cultural exchanges can help people understand each other better and bring them closer.

"The cultural exchanges is a way to make people more familiar and more friendly," he said, adding that diversity allows people to learn more about and appreciate other cultures.