St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble Санкт-Петербургский мужской ансамбль Vocalists: Kirill Sokolov - Vadim Smantser - Andre Volikov - Sergey Shapinski

St. Francis Episcopal Church in Novato Performing Arts Series will host its first concert as a community service.
A concert “From Soul to Soul”,  featuring Organist-Composer Leonard Read Kohler and The St. Petersburg Russia Men’s a cappella Ensemble in a public benefit concert of serenely beautiful and spiritual sacred hymns and traditional rousing and fun folk songs. Reception after concert.
Leonard (Lee) Kohler was born and raised in the state of Montana. He comes from a family of musicians and artists.  After earning a degree in music from the University of Montana in 1986, Lee continued graduate studies at Vander Cook College of Music in Chicago, St Olaf's in Northfield, Minnesota; and at Stanford University at Palo Alto, California in 2004. He began working for various churches in 1988 and continues today. He even worked for a year as band director and pianist for the Princess Cruise Line. Lee is also an accomplished composer. His compositions range across a broad spectrum, from choral works to string quartets to symphonies, as well as pieces for the organ and the piano. Many of these works have been commissioned. Recently, he submitted a new composition String Quartet in C Minor No. 3 to the Great Falls Symphony competition in Montana. The piece was praised for its high quality and creative energy and as a finalist, will be performed by the Cascade Quartet in the near future. He has worked with a number of jazz musicians such as Carl Fontana, Danny Gottlieb and Richie Cole as well as artists from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Temptations and Bo Diddley, among others. Lee gained national attention in 1987 with his performance at the Montreux Music Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. His first band In Flight appeared there, a trio including his brother Rob on bass guitar and multi-guitarist Robi Johns. The group produced a recording under the auspices of Claude Nobs, founder of the fes tival. Since then, Lee hasperformed on fifteen independent CDs with various artists. His wife Maria is a major in the Air Force and on assignment now at Travis AFB. They settled in Fairfield CA, and are the parents of two children, Matthew and Anna.Leonard currently serves as Music Minister and Director for St. Francis Episcopal Church.Санкт-Петербургский мужской ансамбль - St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble
Brief History:  The Ensemble is an a cappella quartet founded in 2003. This talented group expands the limits of generally accepted perceptions about singing groups and choir performances. The group’s repertoire encompasses various periods and styles—from ancient Russian chants and chorals of Western European masters, to modern, contemporary musical techniques. Their repertoire of Russian traditional religious and folk music is as engaging and varied as their personalities: sincere, warm, humorous and talented. The quartet includes tenor Vadim Smantser, second tenor Kirill Sokolov, baritone-bass Andre Volikov and Sergey Shapinskiy. Their repertoire includes sacred and Russian folk songs. Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, Saint Petersburg was capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1712–1728, 1732–1918). St. Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Tenor Kirill Sokolov was born in Leningrad on 22 July 1974. He received his first musical education in the Glinka Choir School attached to the State Academic Capella. From 1991 to 1996 Kirill was studying choir conducting in the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the class of professor E.P. Kudryavtseva. During 1995 he combined studying at the Department of Conducting with studying at the Department of Vocal Singing. Since 1990 Kirill started his creative activity as a member of leading choirs of St. Petersburg: first in the Academic Capella, then in the Choir of the Smolny Cathedral, and the Chamber Choir of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. From 1994 to 1997 he was working in the Chamber Choir, when, in 1996, fragments of the Divine Luturgy of Tchaikovsky were performed under his direction. In 1997 he took part in concerts and performance tours being a member of different musical collectives, such as the "Soglasye",men’s choir, the "St. Petersburg Assemblies" chamber choir, the "Otkrovenie" choir, and others. From 2002 to 2003 he was a leader of the "Petersburg-Quartet" chamber ensemble. Since 2003 Kirill has been the leader of "The St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble".
Tenor Vadim Smantser was born in Partizansk on 16 April 1974. In 1986 he graduated from the Music School attached to the Minsk Conservatory. From 1992 to 1997 Vadim was studying choir conducting in the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Since 1992 he was started his creative activity as a member of Choir of the Smolny Cathedral and the Chamber Choir of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. From 1997 he took part in different musical projects. Now, Vadim was a singer of the St. Dimitry Church and collaborated with "The St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble".
Baritone-Bass Andre Volikov was born 30 March 1984 in the city of Novozybkov, Briansk region, Russia. He graduated in 2009 from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with a degree in musical theater acting. Presently he is pursuing his M.A. degree in Music at the A.I. Herzen Russian National Pedagogical University. Since 2007-2008, Andre has been a soloist with the "Karambol"children's theater in St. Petersburg. From 2008 to 2010 he toured Europe with several different music groups "Voskresenie", Youth Chamber Choir of St. Petersburg", änd the "Sheremetoff Ensemble". He performed with the Marinsky Theater Choir in 2009-2010. Since 2009, he has sung as guest artist with the Moscow theater Maskarad (Masquerade") and has been an active member of the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble".
Baritone-Bass Sergey Shapinskiy was born 18 March 1972 in Kostroma on the Volga He has lived in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg since 1979. Upon completing Music School, with a major in accordian, he played in the Bayan-Accordian Orchestra in the Palace of Pioneers, now called the Palace of Youth Creativity. From 1991 to 1993 Sergey studied music at the Teacher Training College. Since 1993, he has performed with the choruses "Singing Bridge" and the "Petersburg Serenades" and also the Choir of Smolny Cathedral. He studied sound directing from 1994 to 1998 at the University of Cinema and Television. From 1994 to 2010 he worked in a marketing agency. Since the mid 90s Sergey has been singing in Orthodox church choirs in St. Petersburg. Currently he also works as a sound director in a music recording company, "Melodia".