Государственная Академическая Хоровая Капелла БССР

The State Academic Capella, also known as Grigori Shirma's State Academic Choir (Государственная академическая хоровая капелла Республики Беларусь им. Г. Ширмы), is the oldest Belorussian choral ensemble, founded by Grigori Romanovich Shirma in November 1939, at the time when Western Belarus reunited with Belorussian SSR. Originally the choir was named Белорусский ансамбль песни и танца, since 1950: Государственный академический хор Белорусской ССР, since 1957: Государственная академическая хоровая капелла БССР, and finally in 1978 it was named after Grigory Shirma. From 1956-1965 Виктор Ровдо (Viktor Rovdo) was the Chief Choir Master and Conductor of the choir. For the women's group, please use: Женская Группа Гос. Академической Хоровой Капеллы Белорусской ССР For the men's group, please use: Мужская Группа Гос. Академической Хоровой Капеллы Белорусской ССР They had been performing around the USSR, and later in Belarus, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The choir took part in the Olympic Games cultural program at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Capella received Grand Prix at the Church Music International Festival in Hajnowka, Poland. Many prominent conductors had been performing with the Capella, including Mariss Jansons, Timur Mynbaev, Victor Dubrovsky, Saulius Sondeckis, Gennadi Prowatorow, Juozas Domarkas, Vitali Kataev, Yuri Tsiryuk, Oleg Yanchenko, Alexander Dmitriev (2), and Alexander Anisimov.