Led by Greek psaltis Dr. Ioannis Arvanitis, acclaimed scholar and performer of medieval Byzantine chant, the men of Cappella Romana perform music for the feasts of January 1st (St. Basil and the Circumcision of Christ) and of January 6th (Epiphany, or Theophany, as it is known in the East). This collection of chants reflects the urban practice of the Great Church of Christ of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople as well as the monastic traditions that developed in Palestine. Vocal ensemble Cappella Romana combines passion with scholarship in its exploration of early and contemporary music of the Christian East and West. Its name refers to the medieval Greek concept of the Roman oikoumene (inhabited world), which embraced Rome and Western Europe as well as the Byzantine Empire of Constantinople (“New Rome”) and its Slavic Commonwealth.
