Kitka have strong links so you’re able to East Europe and also traveled there to execute and you may gather arsenal repeatedly

Built inside the 1979, Kitka first started as the a great grassroots band of novice vocalists out-of diverse backgrounds who satisfied regularly to generally share the love of the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, abundant harmonies, and you will resonant stamina of Eastern Western european women’s vocal musical. According to the direction away from Bon Musician away from 1981 in order to 1996, Kitka flourished on a processed elite group dress making around the globe renown to own the art, liberty, and you will expertise of one’s requiring procedure regarding traditional and you may latest Balkan, Slavic, and you can Caucasian singing design. Beneath the co-guidance out of Shira Cion, Juliana Graffagna, and you can Janet Kutulas because the 1997, Kitka has expanded to make detection on National Endowment getting the brand new Arts, Chorus America, and the American Choral Directors’ Association as one of this state’s largest touring vocal ensembles. On top of that, of several worldwide tunes regulators imagine Kitka new leading interpreter of Balkan and you will Slavic choral collection working in the us.

Inside 2002, Kitka inserted Le Mystere de l’ensemble des Voix Bulgares given that «around the globe tourist out-of honor» because of it world-prominent choir’s 50th Anniversary Gala at the National Palace out-of Culture into the Sofia, Bulgaria

In the 2005, backed by a primary give in the Believe to have Mutual Knowledge, Kitka moved so you can Ukraine to possess a few activities, in the world musician-exchange conferences, radio and television broadcasts, and you may lookup outings in outlying towns. Kitka’s vocalists frequently perform fieldwork inside cultural groups while in the The usa once the really while the abroad. Private Kitka participants enjoys explored and you can compiled tunes inside Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Georgia, Russia, Chicken, and you will Ukraine. Several of Kitka’s singers are skilled composers and you will arrangers which create brand new options regarding songs he has attained in this field.

From inside the 2000, Kitka gotten significant has in the National Endowment towards the Arts plus the Rockefeller Foundation’s Map Fund to discharge the latest Folksongs Commissioning Project, and that engages probably the most fun sounds inside the latest music to enter new performs that incorporate Kitka’s large-varying voice palette

Kitka’s novel sound and you can inming possess contributed to those almost every other fruitful collaborations, anywhere between a reconstruction of one’s gothic Carmina Burana pageant getting CalPerformances, (Thomas Binkley, director), to partner with Movie industry composers and independent film-providers for the motion picture soundtracks and additionally Braveheart, Jacob’s Steps, and you will Queen of your own Damned. Almost every other collaborations regarding notice tend to be doing brand new part of your own Greek Chorus/Troerican Conservatory Theater’s about three significantly-acclaimed show works of Hecuba (Carey Perloff, Director) by which Kitka obtained a drama Critic’s System Honor nomination; the creation of Women in Black colored, a multi-disciplinary really works passionate because of the worldwide Ladies in Black colored Up against War Course (Thais Mazur, choreographer; Katrina Wreede author) where Kitka acquired a keen Izzie prize nomination getting greatest tunes sum so you can a dance system; and you may Songs off Mama’s Desk, a celebration of the commonalties and you may contrasts anywhere between Balkan, Slavic and you may African american ladies vocal living with Grammy nominees Linda Tillery and Social Heritage Choir. During the , Kitka, together with composer Dan Cantrell, Yiddish folks singer, multi-instrumentalist and you can performer Michael Alpert; Balkan Romani multi-instrumentalist and you can performer Rumen Sali Shopov; and you will phase manager Aaron Davidman debuted Music Fortunes, a new song cycle determined by intersection off East European Jewish and you can Romani («Gypsy») cultures.

The brand new Folksongs earnings debuted to date include arrangements from the Pauline Oliveros, Chen Yi, Dan Cantrell, Marcel Khalife, Janet Kutulas, David Lang, Linda Tillery, Sara Michael, Daniel Hoffman, Raif Hyseni, Thilo Reinhardt, Roy Whelden, Vladimir Zenevitch, , Kitka first started manage it’s really committed commissioning project so far: Brand new Rusalka Cycle: Sounds Within Worlds, a different vocal-theatre enterprise directed because of the Ellen Sebastian Chang, with unique musical because of the Ukrainian composer and visitors musician Mariana Sadovska. Weaving dated Slavic myths as well as modern themes, New Rusalka Cycle’s premiere activities took place so you’re able to over the top personal acclaim during the Oakland’s Malonga Center for the . The latest Rusalka Period is revived within the San francisco bay area from inside the and then toured into Innovations Around the world Theatre Festival inside the Albuquerque, NM. A great European journey of the Rusalka Stage is planned for , having performances during the big festivals and you will sites into the Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. Inside the , Kitka usually premiere Richard Einhorn’s The origin, a special oratorio co-accredited from the ARTSwego from the SUNY Oswegomemorating the 200th Anniversary out of Darwin’s delivery, and 150th anniversary of one’s publication of your own Provider from Types, The origin would be scored to own Kitka, symphony band and you will chorus which have motion picture forecasts by prize-profitable clips musician Bill Morrision.