Dmitri Fountussov

Dmitri Vladimirovitch Fountussov (born 1973) graduated from the violin class of Youth Music School in 1987. Having started singing in church in 1991, he became chorusmaster in 1992. His interest for early liturgic chant goes back to 1993. From 1996, Dmitri Fountussov has continued his studies of early Russian singing at the St Petersburg Conservatory. He has worked with the manuscipts in the National Public Library of Russia and hosted a radio programme in the "Radio Mary" on the history of Russian spiritual music and liturgic chant.

According to Fountussov himself, what draws him to work with the early chant is above all the practical benefit he immediately takes from it for performing liturgic service. In 1999, he and his friends started the ensemble Russkiy Lad, the repertory of which revolves around early chant. Apart from him, another three members of the group are involved in deciphering old manuscripts. For the last six months, Dmitri Fountussov has held the post of Chorusmaster of the Konyev Monastery, famous for its use of early chant in its liturgical service.