Choir to Raise Funds For Tsunami Victims
— The Spirit of Orthodox Choir, directed by Aleksei Shipovalnikov, will present a benefit concert of Russian Orthodox choral music at the Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Virgin, 59 East Second Street, New York, on Saturday, February 5, 2005 at 2:00 p.m.
Proceeds from the concert will benefit the International Orthodox Christian Charities’ [IOCC] Asia Disaster Response.
Established in March 1992, IOCC is the official international humanitarian organization of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas. Since its inception, IOCC has administered more than $160 million in programs throughout the world. Its programs have helped people in 23 countries, including Albania, Argentina, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Iraq, Mexico, Nicaragua and in the United States. All assistance is provided solely on the basis of need to some of the most vulnerable people, including orphans, refugees and displaced persons, the elderly, school children, families and people with disabilities. IOCC was one of the first agencies to respond to the needs of tsunami victims after a massive earthquake rocked southeast Asia on December 26, 2004.
The Spirit of Orthodoxy Choir is well known within and outside the Orthodox Church community for its outstanding presentation of Orthodox liturgical music. The 30-voice choir has both an artistic and a missionary commitment. Its benefit concerts have raised substantial funds for numerous causes, including needy New York City firefighter families affected by the 9/11 disaster, the renovation of historic Orthodox Church sites in Alaska, and Saint Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak, AK.
Aleksei Shipovalnikov is choir director at Saints Peter and Paul Church, Jersey City, NJ, and professor of liturgical music at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA. Born in Russia, he served as artistic director and manager of the Moscow State University Symphony Orchestra and Academic Choir before emigrating to the US in 1990.
For more information on the concert contact Doreen Bartholomew at 212-492-3819 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Additional information on IOCC may be found on the agency’s web site at www.iocc.org.