The A. A. Yurlov State Academic Choral Chapel of Russia (often abbreviated: Kapella Yurlov) is a Russian choir, one of the oldest artistic ensembles in Moscow.
In the 2018/2019 season, the Capella celebrated the 100th anniversary of its official history. However, the prehistory of the group dates back to 1900, when regent Ivan Yukhov organised a family choral ensemble in the town of Shchelkovo near Moscow. At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries new creative associations were actively opening in Moscow: the Moscow Art Theatre, the People's Choir of Pyatnitsky. Long before the revolutionary events of 1917, Yukhov's amateur choir had gained wide fame, performing sacred music, folk songs, choral, vocal and symphonic works by Russian and Western European composers.
After the Revolution, the choir was nationalised by the Soviet authorities, and in January 1919 it received the status of the First State Choir. Its popularity continued to grow: the choir not only performed actively, but also took part in cultural projects of the young Soviet state, including the scoring of the famous films "Merry Guys", "Circus", "We are from Kronstadt" and "Volga-Volga".
The year 1942 was a turning point in the fate of the choir. On the basis of the State Choir named after M.I. Glinka the Republican Russian Choral Chapel was established. A significant stage in the history of the choir was associated with this name.
After the death of I.I. Yukhov, the ensemble could not find a permanent director for a long time. In the period from 1943 to 1958 it was alternately headed by Alexander Stepanov (1899 - 1963) - a pupil of the Synodal College, Konstantin Lebedev (1909 - 1985) and Alexander Preobrazhensky (1890 - 1963).
A fateful event in the history of the ensemble was the appointment of Alexander Yurlov (1927-1973) as its leader in 1958. In the 1960s, under the leadership of the outstanding conductor, the Capella became one of the best musical ensembles in the country. For many years the choir co-operated with the celebrated Russian composers G. V. Sviridov and D. D. Shostakovich, and became the first performer of works by V. Rubin, R. Shchedov, and R. Shchyodin. Rubin and R. Shchedrin. Alexander Yurlov is credited with reviving the tradition of concert performances of Russian sacred music, which was banned during the Soviet years.
Alexander Yurlov's successors were talented musicians, conductors and choirmasters - Yuri Ukhov, Stanislav Gusev, who did a lot to increase the glory of the choir.
