Alexandrov Choir and Dance Ensemble

The Alexandrov Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army is the Russia’s biggest military artistic team.

October 12, 1928 is considered as the day of establishment of the Ensemble. On this day the team’s first performance took place within the premises of the Central House of the Red Army. At that time it included 12 persons. But by the middle of the 30-s the staff has increased up to 300 persons already and its fame has transcended the boundaries of the country.

In the ensemble’s repertoire there are more then 2 thousands musical compositions. There are the songs of russian composers, national songs and dances, soldier dancing, spiritual music, classical compositions of russian and foreign composers, the masterpieces of world pop-music.

The ensemble’s activity initiated the creation and the development of the new collectives – the ensembles of song and dance. As the example of the ensemble many military ensembles appeared in military regions, fleets, and military groups not only in our country but also abroad.

In 1978 the ensemble received the highest professional attestation – celebrating the 50th anniversary it became “academic”.

In our days it is – “The Alexandrov Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army”

The founder and the first art director of the Ensemble was the People’s Artist of the USSR, composer, professor of the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory major-general Alexander Alexandrov. And he was heading the team during 18 years.

The deserving successor of Alexander Alexandrov became his son Boris Alexandrov, who was heading the ensemble during 41 years (from 1946 till 1987). Being the Hero of the Socialist Labour, the People’s Artist of the USSR, Laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR, major-general Boris Alexandrov augmented the fame of the outstanding military artistic team.

Today the membership of the ensemble is 186 persons, 9 soloists, men’s chorus (64 persons), orchestra (38 persons) and mixed dance group (35 persons). All the participants of the ensemble have special music and choreographic education.

The choir of the Alexandrov Ensemble is recognized as one of the best world male choirs. It merges in itself harmony and purity of sounding of the academic a cappella with colourful emotionality and artlessness, which are intrinsic to the folk performance. It demonstrates high vocal skills. The dancing group of the team with its flashing and rousing performances on the stage maintains its honour and contributes to a choreographic level achieved by the ensemble. The gains of the choir, its soloists and of the dancing group to great extent depend on flexible and harmonious sounding of the orchestra, which composition is unique. It successfully combines the Russian stringed folk instruments – domra, balalaika and button accordion – with wooden and copper wind instruments.

During the Great Patriotic War the ensemble gave the performances more than 1500 times. And now as the tradition give concerts in the military regions and military units of Russian Army. Time and again the collective was on tour in “hot” spots, places of battle-front – Afganistan, Yugoslaviya, Transdniestria, Tadjikistan, the Chechen Republic. The ensemble members were on tour in all Russia, visited more then 70 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and America and everywhere their concerts were met with the triumphal success. In 2004 the ensemble gave an exclusive concert coincided to the birthday of Pope John Paul II, in January 2005 took part in the celebration the 60th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation, participated in the opening ceremony of the festival “Russian winter in England”, visited all city-heroes in the 60th victory commemoration in the Great Patriotic War.

The ensemble services are marked with the highest Russian awards, and the Diploma of the International exhibit in Paris “Grand-Prix” (1937), the rewards for the record edition of the gramophone recordings – “The Golden Discs” of the French company “Chan du Monde” (1964), the Dutch “N.O.S.” (1974) and the “The Golden Discoball” (1961) for the best disc of the year according to the French Academy of the gramophone recordings.