The Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ “Open To The World” vocal-choral music festival reached a significant milestone this year, drawing together 235 singers and musicians from Lithuania, the USA, Sweden, Norway, and the UK. From November 30 to December 16, the event consisted of five concerts at the LVSO Concert Hall, Philharmonic Hall, and St. Catherine’s Church, attracting a record audience of 3,608 attendees.

This year’s festival featured a historic collaboration, as the Bel Canto Choir Vilnius performed with Christopher Tin, one of the world’s most celebrated concert and video game music composers, and a two-time Grammy Award winner. This marks the first time Tin has performed in the Baltics and Nordics.

In addition, the festival featured a wide array of distinguished artists and ensembles, including the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish vocal ensemble The Real Group, the Lithuanian ensemble Duodeco, the Swedish choir A Scalpella, the boys choir Dagilėlis, the Swedish barbershop quartet Lemon Squeezy, soloists Jamal Moore (USA), Tomas Pavilionis, Marius Beck (Norway), Lina Dambrauskaitė, and multi-instrumentalist Liutauras Janušaitis. Other highlights included the string quartet led by Augusto Gocentas and Maori haka performances by Roimata Kautai and Aritaku Robens.

Content is King

Audrius Valatkevičius, President and Producer of Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, says the success of “Open To The World” is due to its unique, high-quality content and exceptional concert experience.

“Since 2018, we have consistently pursued our goals: bringing the most distinguished and innovative composers, choirs, and vocal ensembles to Lithuania for collaboration and learning. I believe that content is king, as audiences are always seeking new experiences. For example, this year, we were the first in the region to present Christopher Tin and his extraordinary music – from a cinematic anthem for bird species decimated by human activity to iconic pieces from the video game Civilization. We also remained true to our commitment to modern choral and quality jazz, pop, and barbershop music. While the Lithuanian choral scene tends to be more conservative, the global choral landscape is more diverse and dynamic. We aim to offer an alternative to archaic traditions, encouraging people to embrace their creativity, open their minds, and stay open to the world.”

Milda Švelnienė, Artistic Director and Conductor of Bel Canto Choir Vilnius notes that, unlike many other European cities, Vilnius lacks a dedicated vocal-choral music festival.

“Our goal is for this project to continue growing, becoming a hub for the world’s best choirs, vocal ensembles, and composers. We also aim to promote Lithuania and position Vilnius on the European vocal-choral music map. Equally important is our commitment to creating meaningful content, learning from the best, encouraging innovation, and fostering collaboration between Lithuanian and international music creators. The possibilities in this field are limitless. Open To The World has already earned recognition within the global choral community, and this year over 60 people from 14 countries, including the USA, UK, and the Netherlands, specifically traveled to our concerts with Christopher Tin.”

The Power of Music and Love: Becoming a Global Center for Choral-Vocal Music

Christopher Tin, one of the world’s most renowned contemporary composers and a Grammy Award winner, shares that when he was first invited to perform at the Open To The World festival in Vilnius, he immediately accepted.

“I had seen some of the videos from previous festivals and knew that they put on impressively good concerts. Coming to Lithuania, and working with Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, confirmed all my suspicions and more. The quality of the singing was exceptional and combined with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, the overall musical presentation was incredible. The production values and staging of the concerts too were first-rate. What Bel Canto Choir Vilnius is doing is establishing Lithuania’s capital as a well-deserved hotspot for vocal music on the global stage. I was honored to participate this past year, and I look forward to returning to Vilnius”.

Rasmus Krigström, leader of Europe’s top male choir Zero8, the vocal ensemble Ringmasters, and this year’s Open To The World participants, the choir A Scalpella, states that the Bel Canto Choir Vilnius continues to show the world how it’s done.

“Open to the World 2024 was nothing short of a success. The Real Group has set a standard in a cappella for decades and continues to wow audiences worldwide, so it was both fitting and a real pleasure to see them featured at the festival. And keep an eye on the Lemon Squeezy boys – they’re going places! On top of that, the festival showcased one of the great composers of our time, Christopher Tin. His music has touched millions, and his extraordinary career is still at its peak. As one of the choir masters for this project, I must say that witnessing the grandeur of his music performed live was a real treat.

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius and its festival have demonstrated that anything is possible. The power of music and love is immense, and when these forces come together, they bring joy and wonder to the world. I am personally moved by the accomplishments of the individuals behind this festival, and I truly hope it will endure and thrive for many years to come”.

Open To The World

The Open To The World festival was initiated by the Bel Canto Choir Vilnius in 2018. To date, the festival has hosted 21 concerts featuring some of the world’s most renowned artists, including contemporary composers and Grammy winners Christopher Tin and Eric Whitacre (USA), Ola Gjeilo (USA/Norway), top Swedish choirs Zero8, Svanholm Singers, and Sofia Vokalensemble, the world’s most popular British vocal ensemble Voces8, one of the world’s best choirs The Sixteen (UK), Lithuania’s premier boys choir Dagilėlis, the Ąžuoliukas choir, the vocal ensemble Duodeco, and other performers from Lithuania, Norway, and Switzerland.

Open To The World concerts have attracted a total of 10,800 attendees. Many performances have been published on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music, with the choir’s videos receiving over 20.7M views to date and 2.3M annually. Some concerts have also been broadcast on LRT TV. The festival’s total budget to date has reached 560,000 euros.

The OTTW ’24 was sponsored by engineering, prefab, and construction company INHUS, the Business Garden Vilnius office park developed by Vastint, the largest logistics and industrial property developers in the Baltic States, SIRIN Development, and the Vilnius City Municipality. LRT TV was the information partner and Ogilvy was the advertising partner.

Photos by Mantas Gudzinevičius, Domas Rimeika ir Mantas Repečka.