Nikon Zhila choir regent bio - Columbia Artists Music, LLC

Nikon Zhila- choir regent
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Nikon Zhila was born in priest's family in Sergiev Posad (then Zagorsk), Moscow Region, on the 30th of
November, 1976, and since his childhood he was singing in church choirs of Trinity-Sergius Lavra. He
graduated from the Prokofiev’s Moscow Regional Music School in 1995, and in 2001 — the Faculty of
choral conducting at the Russian Gnessin’s Academy of Music.
Since 2000 Nikon Zhila worked as a chorister in the choir of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery. While
serving in the Armed Forces in 2001-2002, he served as an artist at the Academic Song and Dance
Ensemble of Internal Troops Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
Moscow Sretensky Monastery invited Nikon Zhila as a regent of the monastery choir in 2005. N.Zhila
has reorganized activities of the collective, while saving its best traditions. Talented singers, composers,
arrangers were invited to cooperate with the team, the repertoire was expanded and revised. The choir
began to sing wartime songs acapella for the first time.
The choir began to work on the studio albums recording and maintained an active concert schedule, along
with services in the monastery.
Since 2005, the collective becomes the main chorus, accompanying the Patriarch’s worship, as well as his
visits to the Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia and abroad. The choir has participated in
the most important events in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church in recent years, such as: coconsecration
of the Church of New Martyrs and Confessors by Russian Patriarch Alexy and Metropolitan
Laurus (2007), the visit of His Holiness Patriarch in Vologdskaia Diocese in 2007, a concert devoted to
90th - anniversary of the restoration of service in the Patriarchal Orthodox Church in 2007, a concert
celebrating the opening of the first Orthodox church in Rome, the consecration of the cathedral in the
Iberian monastery in Valdai in 2008, the consecration of the church of Saints Constantine and Helen in
Istanbul (Turkey 2009), concert "St. Irene" for the Holy Patriarchs Bartholomew Ecumenical and
Moscow and all Russia Kirill at the historic temple in Istanbul. In 2005 the choir participated in the
reburial of the remains of General A.Denikin and philosopher I.Ilyin, and accompanied the funeral service
in Paris and Moscow. The Chorus under the Nikon's direction has represented Russia more than once in
the foreign travels: In 2006 the choir gave a concert in Belgrade for the President of Serbia and in the
"Auditorium" hall in papal residence in Vatican.
Performances of the choir ran with triumph in Paris the same year - a prayer service at the Cathedral of
Notre Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris) and a concert at UNESCO. Round the world tour has become a great
event in the artistic and religious life of the choir, it was dedicated to the unification of the Russian
Orthodox Church in 2007. Performances of the choir were held in the best concert halls of New York,
Washington, Boston, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, Berlin, London and invariably ended with standing
ovations and expressions of gratitude and admiration of the audience. The press reviews appeared with
the highest estimations of critics and fellow musicians. In 2008 Sretensky Choir in the mission of Russian
Orthodox Church participated in the "Days of Russia in Latin America" and acted with great success in
Costa Rica, Havana, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Ansunsone Nikon Zhila is the author of the
new concert programs with which the choir performs during the recent years - "Masterpieces of Russian
choral heritage" and "Anthem of Russia." For the first time the program "Masterpieces of Russian choral
heritage" has been presented to the public in the Kuzbass in 2005 and 2006. It was awarded with medals
"For faith and good" and "For the ministry of Kuzbass," presented to the choir by director governor of the

COLUMBIA ARTISTS MUSIC, LLC
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Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev. In 2006-2007. the choir participated in religious services and concerts
held in the Far East and Siberia, and in joint concerts with the Kuban Cossack Choir in (2006, 2007) in
Moscow. Performances of the choir in Moscow are held in the best concert halls - the Kremlin Palace of
Congresses, the Great Hall of the Conservatory, Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. The choir
participated in a concert within the confines of Christmas readings, the festival "Palaces of St. Petersburg"
in 2006 and a concert in St. Petersburg Philharmonic in 2007. Presentation at the annual Easter festival
has become a tradition for the team. The choir has often been invited to sing to the foreign delegations
and guests of the President of the Russian Federation. All concerts under the control of the choir regent
Nikon Stepanovich Zhila run with the same success within an audience and music critics.
Sretensky Choir has recorded several music albums with spiritual hymns and songs of the best classical
and folk repertoire: "Lenten works," "Holy Week", "Vigil," "I see a wonderful freedom," "Favorite songs.
A gift for friends." Albums has been prepared and recorded, under the artistic direction of Nikon Zhila.