Built for the 1979, Kitka began since a great grassroots gang of amateur vocalists out of diverse backgrounds just who met on a regular basis to share with you their passion for the beautiful dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, outlined ornamentation, luxurious harmonies, and you may resonant fuel out of Eastern Western european ladies’ singing audio. Under the guidance from Bon Musician away from 1981 so you can 1996, Kitka blossomed for the a refined elite ensemble getting in the world renown to possess the art, liberty, and you can mastery of your requiring process regarding conventional and you may latest Balkan, Slavic, and you can Caucasian singing styling. Beneath the co-direction off Shira Cion, Juliana Graffagna, and Janet Kutulas as the 1997, Kitka is continuing to grow to make identification regarding Federal Endowment to have the fresh new Arts, Chorus The usa, as well as the American Choral Directors’ Association among this country’s largest traveling vocal ensembles. At exactly the same time, of numerous around the globe songs bodies imagine Kitka the fresh foremost interpreter away from Balkan and you can Slavic choral arsenal employed in the usa.
Into the 2002, Kitka entered Le Mystere de l’ensemble des Voix Bulgares as the “in the world tourist out-of honor” for this industry-well-known choir’s 50th Wedding Gala on National Castle from People during the Sofia, Bulgaria
Inside 2005, backed by a primary grant about Believe to possess Common Skills, Kitka journeyed so you’re able to Ukraine getting some shows, around the world artist-change conferences, radio and television broadcasts, and you can search expeditions when you look at the rural communities. Kitka’s singers regularly perform fieldwork when you look at the ethnic groups through the The usa since better given that abroad. Private Kitka participants features researched and you will built-up tunes inside the Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Georgia, Russia, Chicken, and you will Ukraine. Quite a few 
of Kitka’s vocalists are also talented composers and arrangers who perform unique settings away from sounds he has gathered on the planet.
Inside 2000, Kitka acquired biggest features about Federal Endowment on Arts therefore the Rockefeller Foundation’s Map Financing so you can discharge the new Folksongs Commissioning Project, and this engages probably the most exciting sounds for the contemporary tunes to enter the new work you to definitely use Kitka’s broad-ranging voice palette
Kitka’s book sound and you can inming provides contributed to dozens of most other productive collaborations, anywhere between a repair of your own gothic Carmina Burana pageant having CalPerformances, (Thomas Binkley, director), to work with Movie industry composers and you will independent film-brands to the flick soundtracks plus Braveheart, Jacob’s Ladder, and King of Damned. Most other collaborations regarding notice is performing this new character of Greek Chorus/Troerican Conservatory Theater’s three critically-acclaimed abilities works regarding Hecuba (Carey Perloff, Director) in which Kitka received a crisis Critic’s System Honor nomination; the production of Feamales in Black, a multi-disciplinary really works inspired by globally Women in Black Against Battle Way (Thais Mazur, choreographer; Katrina Wreede composer) in which Kitka acquired a keen Izzie award nomination to own finest musical share so you’re able to a dance program; and Songs away from Mama’s Dining table, a celebration of commonalties and contrasts ranging from Balkan, Slavic and African american women’s singing way of living with Grammy nominees Linda Tillery plus the Cultural Society Choir. Inside , Kitka, in collaboration with composer Dan Cantrell, Yiddish anyone artist, multi-instrumentalist and you will performer Michael Alpert; Balkan Romani multi-instrumentalist and artist Rumen Sali Shopov; and you can stage movie director Aaron Davidman debuted Musical Fortunes, an alternative track period determined from the intersection from Eastern Western european Jewish and Romani (“Gypsy”) countries.
Brand new Folksongs profits debuted yet were compositions of the Pauline Oliveros, Chen Yi, Dan Cantrell, Marcel Khalife, Janet Kutulas, David Lang, Linda Tillery, Sara Michael, Daniel Hoffman, Raif Hyseni, Thilo Reinhardt, Roy Whelden, Vladimir Zenevitch, , Kitka began focus on it is very ambitious commissioning project up until now: The fresh Rusalka Course: Musical Between the Planets, an alternate singing-theater investment brought from the Ellen Sebastian Chang, with unique songs by the Ukrainian author and you can folk singer Mariana Sadovska. Weaving old Slavic mythology in addition to modern layouts, The latest Rusalka Cycle’s prime activities taken place so you can extraordinary public acclaim in the Oakland’s Malonga Cardio within the . The new Rusalka Duration is actually revived during the San francisco bay area in and after that toured towards Designs Internationally Theater Event in the Albuquerque, NM. An excellent European tour of one’s Rusalka Duration try slated to have , which have shows at biggest celebrations and you can sites during the Germany, Poland, and you can Ukraine. In , Kitka tend to top-quality Richard Einhorn’s The origin, an alternate oratorio co-commissioned from the ARTSwego within SUNY Oswegomemorating the 200th Wedding away from Darwin’s beginning, therefore the 150th wedding of book of your Resource out of Kinds, The origin is obtained having Kitka, symphony orchestra and chorus having flick projections of the prize-winning videos musician Bill Morrision.