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«To “Masters of Choral Singing”: You are real Masters and it is pleasure to work with a chorus of such quality!» — Christoph Eschenbach, conductor.

Grand choir was founded in 1928, its founder and first artistic director was a master of choral art A.V.Sveshnikov. At various times, he was guided by such great musicians as N.S.Golovanov, I.M.Kuvykin, K.B.Ptitsa, L.V.Ermakova.

In 2005, the Grand Choir (known as the «Masters of Choral Singing») for the post of artistic director was invited by the People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Lev Kontorovich. Under his leadership, the updated composition of the choir successfully continues the traditions established by their predecessors. The name itself — «Masters of Choral Singing» — determined the professionalism, high level of performance, exceptional speed and versatility of the team, where each artist can act as a member of the choir and as a soloist.

For 85 years, the choir performed more than 5,000 works — operas, oratorios, cantatas Russian and foreign composers, works a’cappella, folk songs and sacred music. Many of them were the «golden fund» of the national record, gained recognition abroad (Grand Prix competition of recordings in Paris, the «Gold Medal» in Valencia). In the performance of a large choir were first heard many choral works by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Shchedrin, Aram Khachaturian, O.Taktakishvili, V.Agafonnikova, Yu.Evgrafova etc.

With a large choir at various times such outstanding conductors as E.Svetlanov, M.Rostropovich, V.Spivakov, D.Kitaenko, V.Fedoseev, H.Rilling, G.Rozhdestvensky, A.Dzedda, E.Morrikone, V.Jurowski, M.Pletnev, K.Eshenbah; singers E. Obraztsova, I.Arkhipov, N.Gedda, D.Hvorostovsky, A.Netrebko, Z.Sotkilava, E.Nesterenko, R.Alanya, A.Georgiu, V.Ladyuk and many others.

In 2008 and 2012 the Grand choir took part in the inauguration ceremony of President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin.

Grand choir clapped their hands in the major concert halls of Russia, Italy, France, Germany, Israel, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Indonesia and others held touring Grand choir for major cities of the Urals and Siberia (Dmitri Hvorostovsky) and the Far East.

People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Lev Kontorovich (b. 1947, Moscow).

After graduating with honors in 1969 from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he studied choral conducting with K.B.Ptitsy, symphony conducting and orchestration at L.M.Ginzburga A.G.Shnitke, L.Kontorovich the first steps his artistic career as a conductor and teacher, said of himself as a bright, talented musician with a wide musical outlook.

For 30 years, continued active work of Lev Kontorovich in the Moscow Choral School named A.V.Sveshnikova and then created on the basis of the school of the Academy of Choral Art after VS Popov. Since 1996 — professor, and since 2012 — Head of the Department of Contemporary Choir of the Moscow Conservatory of the Performing Arts. His students are working successfully in choirs, musical theaters and educational institutions of Russia and abroad.

L.Kontorovich produced many concert programs, which include choral works large and small forms of different eras and styles, spiritual music.

L.Kontorovich participated in international festivals of music by JS Bach in Germany, the International Festival of boys’ choirs in Grasse (France), Poznan (Poland), the European Festival of Orthodox Music, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia (Moscow, Germany, France, Luxembourg), European Symposium on Choral Music in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

In 1997 he founded the chamber choir «spiritual revival» of the Moscow State Institute of Music named after Alfred Schnittke.

In 2005 he was invited Kontorovich, artistic director of the Grand Choir «Masters of Choral Singing» Music of the Russian State Television and Radio. The name itself — «Masters of Choral Singing» — determined the professionalism, high level of performance, exceptional speed and versatility of the team, where each artist can act as a member of the choir and as a soloist.

Unconditional find Grand chorus is a virtuoso performance of works of world classics in the original transcriptions for chorus Lev Kontorovich a`cappella.

Lev Kontorovich in different years successfully worked such distinguished conductors as Mstislav Rostropovich, E.Svetlanov, Vladimir Spivakov, H.Rilling, A.Dzedda, V.Fedossev, V.Yurovsky, S.Odzava, K.Nagano, M. Pletnev, V.Polyansky and many others.

Accompanied by a choir, led by Lev Kontorovich, performed their concerts famous singers: Ivan Kozlovsky, Nicolai Gedda, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Roberto Alagna, Demis Roussos, Basil Ladyuk, Love Kazarnovsky, Vladimir Matorin, Vladislav Piavko.

Radio and TV journalist Artyom Vargaftik was born in 1971 in Moscow. He studied at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory’s Academic School of Music and the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, then completed a postgraduate course at the Moscow Conservatory. He taught cello history at the Gnessin Academy of Music in 1997–2000 and was a trainer of music journalism in 2003–2006. 

While still a student, he began working on the radio as a correspondent, presenter, and creator of musical programs. His programs Orchestra Pit and Music Scores Never Burn on the Kultura TV channel brought him a wide recognition. Both projects were awarded with TEFI national television awards in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

From 1994 to 2003, Artyom Vargaftik worked as a music journalist on the Echo of Moscow radio, and since 2003 he has been a columnist for Kultura Radio and Radio of Russia. He has taken part in numerous festivals and concerts in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Samara, Saratov, Kazan, and other Russian cities. He has been a regular concert presenter at festivals led by Boris Andrianov, such as Vivacello and Musical Expedition. 

In 2007, he began to collaborate with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, and their active collaboration is still ongoing (in the 2021/22 season, Artyom is creating and hosting The Story of a Masterpiece series). Artyom Vargaftik is also a regular host of concert programs at the Moscow International House of Music.