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The Academic Choir “Byzantion” was formed in 1997 when its members were students at the Orthodox Theological Seminary “Saint Basil the Great” in Iași. After graduating from high school, the group of young theologians passionate about this uplifting music was named Byzantion, a name given by His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who was then the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.

The Byzantine music ensemble “Byzantion” currently operates in Iași, Romania, under the blessing of His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and under the aegis of the “George Enescu” University of Arts in Iași.

Since 1997, the group has performed numerous concerts in Greece, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Germany, Mount Athos, and Romania. They have participated in major sacred music festivals (such as Rencontres Musicales de Vézelay, Rencontres Médiévales de Thoronet, La spiritualité de Torino, Les chansons de nos racines – Jaroslaw, Atlantis du Nord – Olsztyn, Les amis de Santorini, Willibrord 658 – 2008, Przemysl, Pontigny, Plock, Summer School Orthodox Music Festival – St. Petersburg, Brixner Initiative Musik und Kirche “Drama und Liturgie” – Bressanone, Archaion Kallos – Prague, Transylvania Byzantine – Brașov, etc.). Additionally, each year the choir members participate in various feasts of Romanian and Greek monastic settlements on Mount Athos, as well as international symposia, aiming to convey the beauty, complexity, and depth of Byzantine monody through their performances.

After the masterful concert on the evening of September 26, the reunion of the choirs “Byzantion” and “St. M. Mc. Chiriachi” for “Paisian Vigil” will be a highlight of the festival. This concert will provide a profound musical and spiritual experience, bringing the Orthodox musical tradition to life with exceptional interpretation.

Attending this event promises an emotional journey into the realm of sacred sounds.

26 Sept, 19:00 hr
St. Nicholas Church in Scheii Brașovului
Monk Filotheu Bălan alongside the "Byzantion" Choir – Brașovian Psaltichia

In the 18th century, a time when Transylvanians had to fight for their Orthodox faith with life and death stakes, both Sibiu (with its metropolitan see) and Brașov, as well as numerous monasteries throughout Transylvania, can take pride in their renowned psaltes and a repertoire that matched that sung at princely courts and monasteries beyond the mountains. Without exaggeration, we can say that psaltic music played a crucial role in preserving Transylvanian Orthodoxy in the face of political and military pressures. Furthermore, the Orthodox episcopate in Budapest, which served a strong Romanian community, also brought Romanian psaltes and purchased Romanian psaltic manuscripts.

27 Sept, 20:00 hr
St. Nicholas Church in Scheii Brașovului
The "Byzantion" Choir and the "St. M. Mc. Chiriachi" Choir – Paisian Vigil

Paisian Vigil, inspired by the teachings of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, emerges as a fascinating synthesis between Byzantine heritage and the Hesychast movement, proposing an intensified contemplative approach to the nocturnal experience. Its emergence coincides with a period of spiritual revival within the Orthodox space, marked by a renewed interest in patristic writings and contemplative prayer practice. This practice, developed during the 18th-century spiritual renaissance, has led to the creation of a form of vigil characterized by its extended duration (10-12 hours), with an emphasis on reading and meditation, entirely dedicated to communion with the divine.

In the complex landscape of contemporary Orthodox spirituality, the Paisian vigil thus creates an expanded temporal space, situated at the intersection of tradition and modernity. This practice, with deep roots in the heritage of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, continues to exert a significant influence on both monastic and lay life, prompting a reevaluation of the role of contemplative practices in today’s society.

The vigil is made possible also through the participation of two of the most valuable contemporary Byzantine choirs: The Academic Choir “Byzantion” (Iași, Conductor: Adrian Sîrbu) and The “St. M.M. Chiriacchi” Choir (Huşi, Conductor: Archimandrite Vladuț Mironescu).

kyrios

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