Nikolai G. Denisov

Doctor of Sciences (Musicology)
Leading researcher at K. Kvitka Research Center for Folk Music
Professor at the Department of Russian Music History of P. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory

Denisov Nikolai (born December 19, 1956, Zubova Polyana settlement, Zubovo-Polyansky district of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, now the Republic of Mordovia) – musicologist, teacher, music critic. D. Sci. Thesis – “Old Believer liturgical singing culture: problems of typology” (defended in 2010, Russian Institute of Art History, St. Petersburg); Ph. D. Thesis – “Oral traditions of singing among the Old Believers: singing according to the “tuning”, issues of interpretation” (defended in 1996 – Gnessins Russian Academy of Music, Moscow). Professor (2016).

In 1977 he graduated from L. Kiryukov Saransk Music College, in 1982 – Gnesins State Musical-Pedagogical Institute. (now Gnessins Russian Academy of Music), in 1995 – postgraduate study at this high school. He worked at the All-Union Institute for Improvement of Cultural Workers Skill, the All-Union Research Institute of Art History, Andrei Rublev Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art (1989–2001, senior researcher at the Department of Old Russian Music), St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Institute (1993–2000, associate professor). In 1997–2006, he was a senior researcher at the arch. D. Razumovsky Research Center for Russian Church Music of P. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, since 2006 – leading researcher at K. Kvitka Research Center for Folk Music of this high school. From 1995 to the present, he has been working at the Department of Russian Music History (2001 – Associate Professor, 2016 – Professor). Since 2011 – Associate Professor at the Moscow Theological Academy.

In 2006–2013, he was a Head of the Department of Competitive Projects in Philology and Art Studies, since 2013 – Deputy Chief of the Humanities Board of the Russian Humanitarian Science Foundation (since 2015, the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Investigations).

Research interests: ancient Russian liturgical practice in a living tradition; liturgical singing practice of the Russian Orthodox Church; sacred works by modern composers.

He took part in 6 seminars for teachers of theological schools and seminaries of the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church (1994–2003), where he made presentations on the interpretation and use of ancient monodic chants in worship. He repeatedly traveled to give relevant lectures and provide methodological assistance at the seminaries of Smolensk and Kostroma.

He is the author and compiler of 4 collections of transcripts of ancient monophonic chants (“Liturgy” and “Night-Service”), which are anthologies for choir groups and teaching aids for the course of ancient Russian music at colleges and conservatories. He elaborated the author’s methodology for teaching Znamenny singing, tested in some educational institutions of Moscow. Published more than 100 research works (including 5 monographs).

He is the member of the Moscow Composers Union (since 1997), on the Bureau of Musicological Commission of the Moscow Composers Union (since 2002), member of the Church-Public Council for Liturgical Singing under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

He is also the member of the editorial board of journals included in the list of the All-Russian Attestation Commission: “Traditional Culture: Research Anthology”, “Annals of V. Zubov Institute” (Russian Institute of Arts History), “Academia: Musicology, Pedagogy, Performing Arts” (V. Popov Academy of Choral Art). From 1996 to the present – on the jury of International festivals of Orthodox music: “Hajnów Days of Church Music” (Hajnówka, Poland), “Kolozhsky Blagovest” (Grodno, Belarus), “Orthodox Music Festival” (Minsk, Belarus); organizer and consultant of the International Festival of Old Believer Singing “Peypus” (Estonia) and the International Festival of Sacred Music “VM FEST Mustvee” (Estonia).

Awards: Order of St. Kirill of Turov (Belarusian Orthodox Church), Kolozha Cross of the Third and Second Classes (Grodno diocese of Belarusian Orthodox Church), Order of St. Mary Magdalene (Polish Orthodox Church); Gold medal of the Moscow Composers Union, breastplate “For contribution to the development of the culture of Belarus” (Belarus Ministry of Culture). Diplomas: Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill; Patriarchal Exarch Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk Filaret, Head of the Russian Orthodox Old Believer Church Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia Korniliy, Belarus Minister of Culture, Estonia Minister of Culture, Stavropol Krai Duma, Grodno Regional Department of Culture, Governor of the Stavropol Krai; Honorary Diploma of the Education and Sciences Ministry of the Russian Federation.

Since 2014, he has been registered in the Federal List of Experts in the Scientific and Technical Sphere of the Education and Science Ministry of the Russian Federation.