Christmas concert: Maxim Kovalev Don Cossacks

Maxim Kovalev Don Cossacks - A festive Advent concert

On Sunday, 22 December 2024 at 3 pm, the Maxim Kovalev Don Cossacks will perform in the pilgrimage church in Klausen. The choir will perform Russian Orthodox church hymns as well as folk songs and ballads.

Born in Gdansk, graduate singer MAXIM KOWALEW could hardly escape music at home. He began taking violin lessons at a state music school at the early age of six.

His father was a pianist and piano teacher, his mother a singing teacher. The fact that his father is of Russian descent awakened his interest in the culture of that great country in the East at an early age. Maxim Kovalev's mother was born in Germany. She gave him a view from the West.

Even before he learnt to sing professionally, as a child he marvelled at the tales, songs and fairy-tale stories of the peoples of the East, especially the Cossacks, which influenced him for the rest of his life. Maxim Kovalev thus realised early on that he too would study music and complete a classical vocal training. He began his vocal studies at one of the most famous music academies in the East. He completed his studies at the Academy of Music in Gdansk with a master's degree. There he was awarded the academic degree of "Master of Arts". It was not long before he received numerous opera engagements and his popularity soared. He continued his career shortly afterwards in various choirs and folk music ensembles. From 1983, after graduating and various opera engagements, he sang in Western Europe, the USA and Israel. He sang in the Ural and Volga Cossack Choirs, among others. He travelled to Russian Orthodox monasteries to perfect his knowledge of Eastern choral music and deepened his knowledge in lessons with the famous conductor and theologian Georg Szurbak in Warsaw. The famous conductor of the Don Cossack Choir Sergei Jaroff was always a great role model.

It was only after his many international experiences that he took the most decisive step in his artistic life in 1994 and sang in a choir which later crystallised into the MAXIM KOWALEW DON KOSAKEN. This ensemble revives the musical heritage of the Cossacks in Western Europe and Scandinavia at a technically brilliant level. Maxim Kovalev still sees it as his task today to make the beautiful Russian melodies resound for the joy of the listener and thereby bear witness to the spirit of that old imperishable Russia, which is often forgotten in the course of daily events. It is also important to him to give gifted artists the opportunity to bring their great talent to the public.