Timeline
Berlin, 1962
Moscow, 1977
Tbilisi, 1987
White House, 1994
Yale, 2003
1953-1959
1953‐54
The Yale Russian Chorus formed by Denis Mickiewicz (founding conductor) and George Litton (Russian Club president) as an offshoot of the Yale Russian Club.
May 13, 1954
First public performance of the YRC in Yale’s Hall of Graduate Studies.
Summer 1958
First tour to USSR following the signing of the Lacy‐Zarubin Agreement on cultural exchange between USA and USSR in January 1958. First American group to visit USSR as a private initiative. YRCʹs first experiences in cultural exchange, singing informal ʺconcertsʺ for Russians and discussing everything imaginable.
Fall 1958
First YRC record (LP) issued under Carillon label (produced by Yale’s Elliott Kone).
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1960-1969
January 20, 1960
YRC hosts reception and sings for Moscow State Symphony Orchestra at the Hall of Graduate Studies after MSSO concert in the New Haven Arena.
April 24, 1960
YRC serenaded French President Charles de Gaulle outside Blair House in Washington DC during a chance meeting while Chorus was in Washington for a concert. De Gaulle came over, shook hands with a few singers and said in English “Good luck, Yale!”
August 23, 1962
YRC sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus at the Berlin Wall after a young East German, Peter Fechter, had been shot a few days before, trying to cross into West Berlin.
November 11-18, 1963
Yale professor Frederick Barghoorn arrested in Moscow and charged with espionage. Big YRC campaign to get him freed
Fall 1969
Spin-off group formed, the Yale Slavic Chorus (women's group performing Eastern European and Balkan music). Bill Robbins (YRC '70; later known as Celo V’ec) was the first conductor.
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1970-1979
Spring 1970
3rd YRC record (Lieberman).
Fall 1973
20th Anniversary concert and record (4th YRC record ‐ Holmes).
March 1977
Seventh tour of USSR, again with the Citizens Exchange Corps (Leningrad, Tbilisi, Moscow, Kiev). Joint performance with the Moscow State University Chorus in the Great Hall of the Moscow House of Friendship is videotaped and broadcast nationwide on Soviet TV. YRC sang Bortnyansky’s music in his hall in the Glinka Kapella and sang in Tchaikovsky Hall in Kiev.
September 17‐18, 1978
25th Anniversary Concerts in Woolsey Hall and Carnegie Hall.
1979
Next spin‐off group: Paul Andrews’ Slavyanka Chorus in San Francisco, which has made several records, tours, movie soundtracks, etc., and includes many ex‐YRC singers, much YRC music.
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1980-1989
September 1983
30th Anniversary concert.
January 1984
Winter tour to Midwest included performance on NPR’s Prairie Home Companion in Minneapolis, including a Russian version of the “Powder Milk Biscuits” song.
December 1987
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1990-1995
February 12, 1990
YRC performed as chorus in Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans with Eve Queler’s Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall.
September 1994
YRC Sings for the Yeltsins and Clintons at the White House, Washington, D.C.
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1996-2008
May 1996
First YRC Alumni concert at SUNY Purchase. Repeated almost annually through 2002. Banquet often held at Bill Barron’s (YRC ’66) home in Weston CT.
October 25, 2003
YRC Alumni perform 50th Anniversary Gala Concert as part of Yale’s celebration of and conference on the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg. Current YRC sang 6-7 songs as well. Exhibit on YRC history set up in Sterling Memorial Library.
August 2007
Showing of Khoristoria, Catherine Mattingly’s new documentary film about the YRC, at the Woods Hole Film Festival at Woods Hole MA, alumni sang 6-7 songs.
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2009-Present
October 2009
Concert at Duke Chapel of Duke University in Chapel Hill NC for Denis Mickiewicz’s 80th birthday, hosted by Gil Merkx. Festschrift in DM’s honor compiled and presented.
November 2013
60th Anniversary Concert at Woolsey Hall at Yale. 140 singers appeared on stage, along with Denis Mickiewicz, Dan Godfrey, Dan Gsovski, Brock Holmes, Bruce Lieberman and John Stewart. Shared stage with the Yale Women's Slavic Chorus.
September 2017
Joint concert with YRC at Yale in Battell Chapel. Guest appearance of Yale Slavic Chorus.
October 2018
65th Anniversary Concert at Woolsey Hall. Over 100 singers participated and the performance included Denis Mickiewicz in his last appearance as conductor on stage.
Summer 2019
Joint tour of Russia with YRC. Performances centered in and around Moscow, including at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the US Ambassador’s residence, Spaso House.
October 2020
Virtual participation in the 10th International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony in Tbilisi.
September 2023
70th Anniversary Concert at Woolsey Hall.