|
Address: K.Marx ave. 6, Petrozavodsk, 185035, tel./fax (8142) 78-43-69
Ensemble "Kantele" today is a professional multipurpose organism developing in different directions.
Mission of the ensemble was and remains propagation of beauty and originality of ethnic cultures of Karelia. "Kantele" aspires to be interesting to spectators of all categories, without discounts for age and language barrier, performing traditional folklore material in original modern arrangements.
The State ensemble of songs and dance of Karelia "Kantele" Awarded with the Sign of Honour is in constant creative search.
The palette of "sounding paints" of cultures of northern peoples is wide. These are fervent Ingermalandian rentushkas and lyrical songs of Veppsians, quadrille tunes of Pomorie, archaic northern jeigas, the Karelian, Finnish motives, dancing turns from the "gold fund of the ensemble" and modern style arrangements.
Life of the creative collective of the ensemble is also sated: there are rehearsals of the new program "Echoes of old fairs" (the author of the idea and the art director of the program is S.Nikolaeva).
Today "Kantele" is known both in Karelian out-of-the-way places, and to the inhabitants of capitals. With the concerts it has travelled to the Baltics countries, Germany, Hungary, France, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Being the participant of different creative festivals and folklore actions the ensemble has visited the twin-cities of La Rochelle, Varkaus, Neubrandenburg. Within the past years the ensemble paerticipated in the festival "Karelian Carnivals" in 1999 in Finland , became the participant of the action "The Gold Map of Russia" in November of 2001, and was warmly greated by the citizens of Adygea in the same 2001.
In September of 2002 it became the participant of the All-Russian festival of national cultures in Moscow.
Soon the musical folklore performance on Russian culture and culture of Zaonezhie will be staged for the first time.
Since March 2001 the youth experimental studio, the original satellite of the ensemble works at the ensemble, where on four branches (choreography, kantele, folklore vocal, solo singing) 140 children are trained by professional teachers. This year at the support of the Ministry of cCulture of the RK 5 boys on branch of national dance went to study in the Bashkir choreographic school named after R.Nuriev within the framework of target contract on preparation of experts, with their subsequent returning to work in the State Ensemble of Dance and Song of Karelia "Kantele".
On August 1, 2002, the ensemble has introduced the study of art-therapy for children with the limited opportunities who will play music, write verses, draw, take lessons of choreography, and also visit exhibitions, performances, concerts and participate in the common programs of "Kantele" performances.
In May of 2003 opening of the first historical exposition which will make the basis of future "Museum of "Kantele" is planned. The museum will represent history of culture and art of the peoples of Karelia of the XX-th century on the basis of documents submitted by the "Kantele" ensemble. Being a museum of a structure new to Karelia (of musical and choreographic art) it will enrich the palette of museum network of the republic and can become the resource methodical center for schools and public museums.
In July of 2002 the sewing shop (studio) on tailoring national suits of ethnic groups of Karelia for the ensemble's own needs, and also under orders of other collectives and private persons was created and commissioned. The qualified masters can both perform the order and to provide high-grade consultation on interesting aspects.
The general educational program "Let Our Kantele Sound" is developed and is carried out with the purpose of ethnic and cultural education of schoolchildren and acquaintance to the history of Karelian-Finnish musical instrument Kantele and epos "Kalevala". The new subscription program "Wheel runas" provides realization of lectures and concerts for schoolchildren of Kondopozhsky district, where representatives of radical peoples of Karelia live. With the similar projects the State ensemble "Kantele" is ready to take part in the governmental program "Ethnocultural education in the republic of Karelia for 2003 - 2005".
In 2002 new information technologies were introduced in "Kantele". In November of 2002 the Internet site of the ensemble will be updated, the spadework on creation of the "Cultural educational Internet portal "National folklore" is accomplished.
The advertising information department is created in "Kantele", the publishing department and studio of sound recording are at the stage of opening. In the long-term plans of the ensemble there are issuing of the CD and DVD, the art album, repertoire collections, and polygraphic production. Simultaneously the work on creation of own service of tourist routes is under elaboration.
The ensemble "Kantele" is planning to keep searching its own new creative and economic ways of development, expansion of frameworks of activity. "Kantele" is the multiplane collective open for cooperation.
| 
