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Artist
Saint John Kukuzelis or Kukuzel (Greek: Ιωάννης Κουκουζέλης, Ioannis Koukouzelis; Bulgarian: Йоан Кукузел, Yoan Kukuzel) (c. 1280 – 1360) was a medieval Orthodox Christian composer, singer and reformer of Eastern Orthodox church music. Kukuzelis was born in the Adriatic city of Durazzo in the Angevin Kingdom of Albania (today Durrës, Albania) in the late 13th century to a Bulgarian mother, his father dying at an early age. Some scholars including David Marshall Lang state simply that he was of Bulgarian origin, while Robert Elsie generalizes him as being of Macedonian Slav descent. Kukuzelis received his education at the Constantinople court vocal school and established himself as one of the leading authorities in his field during the time. A favourite of the Byzantine emperor and a principal choir chanter, he moved to Mount Athos and led a monastic way of life in the Great Lavra. Because of his singing abilities, he was called Angel-voiced. Kukuzelis introduced the melodious (callophone) style and repertoire and created the Late Byzantine system of notation named after him. About 90 of his works in all church styles have survived until today, possibly the most famous one being the Polieleion of the Bulgarian Woman dedicated to his mother that, according to some researchers, contains elements of traditional Bulgarian mourning songs. He was also the author of a new type of vocal collections and of the Hyronomic vocal exercise that offered 60 designations of vocal signs that