St Petersburg State Capella

Inexplicably for an institution that can trace its roots back to the 15th century and is located in the historic center of the city, the St Petersburg State Capella seems almost unknown to many foreign visitors to the city. And yet since Peter moved his capital to the banks of the Neva, the Capella has performed for Tsars and Komissars alike. Many great names such as Glinka, Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov were educated here, and generations of Russian choirs have been brought up on the high standards of the Capella. Following the Revolution, the court chorus and orchestra were integrated into the Philarmonia, but since 1991 the Capella has been performing again as an individual institution and today provides a rich and varied programme of choral and orchestral performances from local musicians and invited foreign guests.