Don Kosaken Chor Serge Jaroff

The legendary conductor and choirmaster Serge Jaroff (1896–1985) studied church music at the Synodal Academy. In 1919, while fleeing Bolshevik rule as a Cossack lieutenant, he ended up near Istanbul, where he founded the Don Cossack Choir in 1920. In 1923, the ensemble made its debut at Vienna’s Hofburg, after which the choir gained worldwide recognition. Over the decades, the choir achieved great popularity in Europe and the United States thanks to its unique tonal quality, high level of performance, and strongly distinctive character. Jaroff’s work was continued by Wanja Hlibka (born 1948), the youngest soloist of the original choir, who performed with it until the ensemble ceased its activities. In the 1980s and 1990s, he revived the choir, renewed its repertoire, preserved the singing traditions of the original choir, and added contemporary tonal colours. Today, Don Kosaken is an old German brand and a German company that is highly popular in Germany and Austria. In addition to Jaroff’s traditional songs, the repertoire has been expanded to include many Ukrainian folk songs, Christmas songs and new sacred repertoire, as well as world hits and cover versions. The ensemble consists almost entirely of Ukrainian singers, including outstanding performers from earlier years. Since 2023, under the direction of Pyotr Morozov, who previously worked for more than twenty years on the world’s opera stages and was the founder and conductor of several projects, the ensemble has experienced a new rise and flourishing: new colours and nuances have appeared in its sound, and a new, younger audience from contemporary generations has begun attending its concerts. Wanja Hlibka personally entrusted him with the artistic direction.