Wintersongs with Kitka / Supra! A Seasonal Feast of Song

For more than two decades, Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble’s annual Wintersongs concerts have explored songs from across Eastern Europe that summon the return of light and hope in times of difficulty and darkness.

Following on the heels of the group’s first international tour in more than a decade, this year’s Wintersongs concerts will share a bounty of music gathered from across the Republic of Georgia, as well as songs from Balkan, Baltic, Mediterranean and Slavic lands.

Kitka’s 2024 Wintersongs offering follows the dramatic arc of the supra, a traditional Georgian ritual feast in which all present are encouraged to contemplate the things in life that uplift and connect us.

Inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Kitka has earned international recognition for its distinctive sound, exploring a vast palette of ancient yet contemporary-sounding vocal effects. Kitka’s commitment to presenting traditional song as a living and evolving expressive art form has led to adventurous collaborations with some of the world’s most exciting indigenous musicians and contemporary composers ranging from Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares to Meredith Monk.

Currently celebrating its 45th season, Kitka began as a grassroots group of amateur singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women’s vocal music. Since its informal beginnings, the group has evolved into an award-winning touring ensemble known for its artistry, versatility and mastery of the demanding techniques of regional vocal styling, as well as for its innovative explorations in new music for women’s voices. The ensemble’s wide-ranging performance, teaching and recording activities have exposed millions to the haunting beauty of their unique repertoire.