Yonkers, NY
The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) has been leading choir workshops in parishes across the country.
Dr. Peter Bouteneff, director of the ISA, is leading these Zoom workshops free of charge, beginning with a ten-minute talk about the Institute. At each workshop, participants are then led in vocal training by Seminary alumni choir leaders such as Dr. Gregory Abdalah (’08, ’18), Zachariah Mandell (’20), and Phillip Ritchey (’20).
“Keeping voices active, keeping our breathing healthy, is a great boost to our physical, mental, and spiritual health, and keeps us in shape for the day when we can sing together in church again,” said Bouteneff.
Professor Bouteneff and the ISA have led five workshops so far, in California, Washington State, Kentucky, New York, and Connecticut, and are poised to do more. Parishes interested in scheduling a workshop are encouraged to email sacredarts@svots.edu for more information.
“Our institute has a strong academic component with symposia and publications, but the sacred arts touch us first and foremost in the parishes, in the Liturgy. We need to be deeply plugged in to the life of the Church!” added Dr. Bouteneff, who also directs the choir at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Yonkers, NY.
The Institute is looking to spread the word about its activities, receive input on its work, and enlarge its contact list to build its base of prayerful and material support. Soon, the ISA will also launch an M.A. degree track at St. Vladimir’s Seminary with a concentration in Sacred Arts. It will continue to organize symposia, integrate further into the Seminary’s curriculum, and host artists-in-residence at St. Vladimir’s.
The Institute is supported in part by the Henry Luce Foundation and by larger and smaller donations from people who are stirred by the arts and who understand their crucial role in the life of the Church, the praise of God, and the preaching of the faith.
