Institute of Sacred Arts

08/21/2026

Fr Garabed has a magnificent essay in our book Rethinking Sacred Arts (https://svspress.com/rethinking-sacred-arts/). It is a delight to celebrate him here!

06/26/2026

Master iconographer Dr. George Kordis was back at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in June, leading workshops and offering demonstrations to students.

The Institute of Sacred Arts has been collaborating with Dr. Kordis and his Writing the Light school of iconography for several years. He was ISA’s inaugural Artist in Residence in the spring of 2022 and has trained students on campus nearly every summer since then.

This year, he offered a five-day icon painting intensive in the Byzantine system both for beginners and more advanced, from June 15–19. The Seminary welcomed to campus both independent students and others participating in Writing the Light’s certificate program.

06/24/2026

The Summer Music Institute is underway at St. Vladimir's Seminary!

06/12/2026

Nik Bärtsch: Energy, Flow, and Holy Commitment

"The word ‘Holy’ to me means what we are dedicated to, what we take seriously, what gives us energy for life, trust in community, trust in each other. That thing that nothing can confuse. And we do not doubt it."

There’s nothing quite like the music of Nik Bärtsch: its flow, energy, dynamism bring the listener in deeply. In this conversation we explore the sensibilities, intuitions, and thoughtfully developed ideas emanating from Nik’s heart and mind, for a unique and special episode of Luminous.

🎧️ Listen Now: https://buff.ly/y4oLzuD

05/21/2026

Master Practitioners Explore Syriac & Armenian Chant
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This May St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary hosted master practitioners from the Syriac and Armenian traditions as part of the two-day event, Exploring the Orient: Syriac & Armenian Liturgical Chant.

Exploring the Orient was made possible through a generous grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), Grand Rapids, MI, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. The workshops and discussions were hosted at both St. Vladimir's Seminary (Yonkers, NY) and St. Nersess Armenian Seminary (Armonk, NY), on May 1 and 2. The event served as a sequel to a 2024 SVOTS initiative, also funded by CICW, which highlighted Eastern Orthodox liturgical singing. Exploring the Orient provided participants the opportunity to delve into commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship.

“Scholars are used to examining common issues and themes … across Eastern and Oriental Orthodox [liturgical] traditions, but this is something that has barely been touched in the field of music,” said Dr. Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music and Associate Director of SVOTS’ Institute of Sacred Arts. Dr. Lingas helped organize the events and oversaw the workshops and discussions.

🖥️ Watch Replays of the Two-Day Event: https://buff.ly/P28ToBY

“The workshop provided a rare and enriching opportunity to experience Armenian and Syriac liturgical music at a high scholarly and artistic level, under the guidance of two internationally recognized experts whose work spans conducting, composing, musicology, and the study of early Christian traditions,” noted Dr. Ani Shahinian, Assistant Professor in Armenian Christian Art and Theology at St. Nersess Seminary, who helped organize Exploring the Orient along with Dr. Lingas. “As participants in this program, we gained a clearer comparative understanding of the two traditions and their approaches to sung worship, while a deepened appreciation for their historical complexity, theological meaning, and enduring vitality.”

03/31/2026

In a series of videos from the Arvo Pärdi Keskus / Arvo Pärt Centre, Peter Bouteneff weighs in on the composer’s mysterious and simple method.

03/16/2026

Summer Music Institute Scholarships - Deadline to Apply is Tomorrow (March 17)!
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The Pre-Institute Intensive has already sold out, but there is still space available to join us at the full Summer Music Institute at St. Vladimir's Seminary, in person or online, this June 23–27, 2026.

A limited amount of scholarships are also still available to help cover registration costs, through the John Paterakis Summer Music Institute Scholarship Fund. Mr. Paterakis is a generous supporter of Orthodox liturgical music in North America.

⌨ Email [email protected] to apply for a scholarship.
*The deadline to apply for a scholarship is March 17, 2026.

➡ Learn More & Attend the Summer Music Institute: https://buff.ly/YNRAFlW

The Summer Music Institute at St. Vladimir’s Seminary continues its tradition of offering immersion into the Church’s liturgical life and tradition, opportunities to build skills, and warm fellowship among people who love Church music.

This year’s Institute will celebrate and explore the planting, cultivation, and flourishing of Orthodox musical traditions in North America, and the musicians who laid the groundwork for the English language liturgical singing of today. Learn from noted teachers and experts including Alexander Lingas, Vladimir Morosan, Photini Downie Robinson, Juliana Woodill, and Alice Hughes.

Participants may choose from three focused tracks: conducting, vocal technique, and—NEW for this year—advanced studies in the history of liturgical music.

02/27/2026

An Inward Listening: Arvo Pärt's Für Alina

Peter Bouteneff performs and explores Arvo Pärt's 1976 composition.

02/19/2026

Join us for the Summer Music Institute this June at St. Vladmir's Seminary! Learn more and register to attend in person or online at svots.edu/Summer-Music-Institute.

NEW for this year, we are offering an advanced seminar on the history of Orthodox liturgical music. In this inaugural year, Drs. Alexander Lingas and Vladimir Morosan will explore the work of pioneering composers from the middle of the twentieth century active in North America and other English-speaking countries. Starting with the European and Middle Eastern roots of our traditions of Orthodox liturgical singing, they will trace their subsequent development and cross-fertilization in American and global contexts. This seminar track is ideal for those interested in understanding how our sung worship embodies liturgical theologies and understandings of fidelity to Orthodox tradition.

02/13/2026