Kitka, the acclaimed women’s vocal ensemble now in its 45th year, returns to Old First Concerts for its annual WINTERSONGS concert. Following on the heels of the group’s first international tour in more than a decade, this year’s concerts will share a bounty of music gathered from across the Republic of Georgia, as well as songs from Balkan, Baltic, Mediterranean and Slavic lands.
“Kitka's tour in Georgia this fall will find us feasting and singing around many ritual banquet tables,” said Kitka’s Executive Artistic Director Shira Cion. “Known in Georgia as a supra, these rites, celebrated for their abundance of food and wine, foster feelings of belonging and connectedness, through tributes to the things in life that provide wonder and meaning. While we won't be able to cook thousands of meals or pour endless glasses of wine for all our Wintersongs concert attendees, we do hope to share the essential transformative magic of the supra feast by offering a program of songs and spoken word that follows the dramatic arc of the supra ritual. Our hope is that all our listeners will feel as if they have an honored seat at our table."
Inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Kitka has earned international recognition for its distinctive sound, exploring a vast palette of ancient yet contemporary-sounding vocal effects. Kitka's commitment to presenting traditional song as a living and evolving expressive art form has led to adventurous collaborations with some of the world's most exciting indigenous musicians and contemporary composers ranging from Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares to Meredith Monk. Currently celebrating its 45th season, Kitka began as a grassroots group of amateur singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women's vocal music.
Since its informal beginnings, the group has evolved into an award-winning touring ensemble known for its artistry, versatility and mastery of the demanding techniques of regional vocal styling, as well as for its innovative explorations in new music for women's voices. The ensemble's wide-ranging performance, teaching and recording activities have exposed millions to the haunting beauty of their unique repertoire.