Demestvo presents: Lost Polyphonies

On December 5th, Demestvo presents “Lost Polyphonies”: a program showcasing the earliest traditions of vocal polyphony from Europe, performed alongside contemporary compositions that engage with these chant traditions. The concert will feature music from Russia, Georgia, Byzantium, France, and England, including world premieres of newly transcribed chants that have not been heard for over 300 years. Alongside these pieces, Demestvo and guest artists will perform new works by Princeton graduate composers Justin Wright, Lucy McKnight, and Caroline Shaw.

Named after a Slavic polyphonic chant tradition, Demestvo is a quartet founded by musicology PhD student and soprano Anastasia Shmytova. Conceived as part of her dissertation research on medieval Slavic chant and early polyphony, Demestvo is committed to bringing the unique sound world of this unheard music to contemporary audiences.

This event is sponsored by the Music department of Princeton University, and co-sponsored by the Humanities Council, REEES, the Slavic Department, the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, Scala Foundation, the Department of French and Italian, the Graduate School, Medieval Studies, and the Center for Culture, Society and Religion.