Bratislava hosts colloquium on Byzantine liturgical chant

An academic colloquium titled ‘Connections of Byzantine Tradition Liturgical Chant in Slovakia’ was held in Bratislava on October 10, 2026. The event was organized by the Kyrillomethodeon civic association, the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Bratislava, and the Ján Stanislav Institute of Slavistics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The colloquium commemorated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Kyrillomethodeon Greek Catholic Cathedral Choir and honored the memory of its former conductor, Maestro Štefan Ladižinský (1925–2025), on what would have been his 100th birthday.

Participants explored the historical, liturgical, musical, and linguistic aspects of Byzantine church chant. Discussions included the historical development of Byzantine liturgy, the relationship between cathedral and monastic traditions, and the integration of music with liturgy, architecture, and iconography. Experts also addressed the compositional methods of Byzantine hymnographers and the importance of respecting natural word accents in liturgical melodies.