Canticum Ostrava is a mixed choir consisting of North Moravian and Silesian singers. It was founded to perform Luigi Nono’s Cori di Didone at Ostrava Days 2003. Since then, it has been the resident choir of Ostrava Days. The choir consists mainly of singers from the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre and students from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ostrava. The Artistic Director and conductor is Jurij Galatenko, the chief choirmaster of the Ostrava Opera Choir.

Jurij Galatenko (1964, Kiev, Ukraine) studied choral conducting at the Kiev State Conservatory (Academy of Music) where he also taught from 1991 until 1995. 1995 through 1997, he was a guest conductor of the State Philharmonic in Černigov. Galatenko worked as lead conductor for the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Rivna from 1997 until 1998. Since 1999, he has been the head choirmaster of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava, with which he has had much success. This ensemble’s most recent successes include performances of Cardillac by Paul Hindemith, The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, and Lohengrin by Richard Wagner. Under Galatenko’s direction, this opera chorus has become one of the best vocal ensembles in the Czech Republic.