Open To The World ’25: Swedish Night with Zero8, Ringmasters & Lemon Squeezy
A Theatrical Evening with Sweden’s Finest – their Festive Salute to Vilnius, Featuring ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius
As part of the unique Open To The World festival, ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius presents exceptional content and a memorable concert experience.
After a two-year break and three sold-out concerts that captivated Vilnius audiences, the choir welcomed back its dear friends: Europe’s best male choir, Zero8, and the world barbershop champions Ringmasters and Lemon Squeezy. This time, they returned with a festive two-part program created especially for Vilnius.
On December 5, 2025, the LVSO Concert Hall took on the atmosphere of a Broadway theater. Across the evening, three Swedish ensembles performed a program spanning musical theater, jazz, barbershop, and seasonal repertoire. The audience response – marked by three encores – evoked the intensity more commonly associated with a sports arena than a concert hall.
ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius joined the Swedish friends for a special appearance, collaborating on two selections.
Founded in 2006, Zero8 is a male choir based in Stockholm that has mastered the art of barbershop singing. With a focus on technical precision, subtle vocal blending, and captivating stage presence, the choir has successfully applied these qualities to a wide array of musical genres, including jazz and classical music.
Bringing together more than 40 singers, Zero8 won the title of Best Choir in Europe at the 2024 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. The group has also been crowned European Barbershop Champions four consecutive times and represented Sweden at the Eurovision Choir competition in 2019.
Zero8 Goes Broadway: Les Misérables Premiere in Vilnius
The highlight of the evening was a special Zero8 premiere: a concert performance based on one of the most iconic musicals in the world – Les Misérables. Zero8 has created a 20-minute program featuring the most beloved songs from the musical, including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” and “One Day More”. The music was enhanced by subtle choreography and period costumes, bringing this timeless story to life on stage.
Les Misérables, based on Victor Hugo’s novel, tells the story of Jean Valjean’s spiritual journey – a struggle for redemption, freedom, and dignity amidst the backdrop of the French Revolution. It is a moving tale of hope, love, and justice that was reborn in a new sound.
Another special moment of the evening was a special appearance by ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius. Together with their Swedish friends, the Lithuanian ensemble performed two remarkable works arranged and specially gifted to the Open To The World festival by Blake Morgan, tenor and songwriter of the acclaimed British vocal group VOCES8. Thanks to him, The Jackson 5 classic “I’ll Be There” and the gospel “Shall We Gather at the River” resonated anew – with vocal elegance, sensitivity, and unexpected harmonic turns.
The Barbershop Elite Ringmasters & Lemon Squeezy Took Vilnius
Since 2010, Lemon Squeezy has stood out with their distinctive musical style, blending barbershop harmony with elements of jazz and rhythm-based music. Lemon Squeezy is internationally recognized for their precise vocals, inventive arrangements, and charismatic performances.
Though deeply rooted in Sweden’s rich choral tradition, the ensemble has truly found its voice in barbershop harmonies, jazz improvisations, and anything that grooves.
In 2025, Lemon Squeezy triumphed at the International Barbershop Quartet Championship, held during the Barbershop Harmony Society Convention in Denver, USA – a prestigious accolade in the global vocal music scene.
Winners of the 2012 World Barbershop Championship, Ringmasters combine vocal virtuosity with the infectious energy of pop music. Their concerts seamlessly weave together barbershop classics, Swedish choral music, and songs by Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley. The group is known for rich, precisely tuned harmonies, stylish choreography, and captivating stage presence.
All four singers completed classical choral studies at Stockholm’s top music academies. But in 2006, inspired by an episode of The Simpsons, they discovered barbershop music and realized that singing in Sweden’s finest choirs wasn’t enough. After six years of intensive training, they were crowned the best barbershop quartet in the world.
First Part of the Concert
Shall We Gather at the River
Robert Lowry | arr. Blake Morgan
I’ll Be There
The Jackson 5 | arr. Blake Morgan
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Edward Pola & George Wyle, arr. David Holst
Brinnande Ljus
Karin Boye & Jesper Hagberg
Scandinavian Shuffle
Svend Asmussen, arr. Anders Edenroth
World for Christmas
Anders Edenroth
Det Brinner En Stjärna
David Wikander
Winter’s Garland
Jane Draycott & Joanna Marsh
Blue Christmas (Elvis) & Don’t Rain On My Parade
Bob Merrill & Jule Styne, arr. David Harrington
Lux Aurumque
Eric Whitacre
Bells of Notre Dame / Out There Medley
Alan Menken, arr. Aaron Dale & Rasmus Krigström
Second Half of the Concert
Les Misérables Medley
Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, arr. Rasmus Krigström & Simon Isbäck, Theo Hicks & Victor Nilsson
Misty Mountains
Howard Shore, arr. Rasmus Krigström
Popular
Steven Schwartz, arr. Simon Isbäck
Once Upon a December / Journey to the Past
Lynn Ahrens & Stephen C. Flaherty, arr. Aaron Dale
Silent Night
Gene Puerling
Good Vibrations
Brian Wilson, arr. David Wright
Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul
Gustav Nordqvist
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel, arr. Ben Bram
Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel
Traditional, arr. Aaron Dale
Artists & Production Team
Zero8 (SE), Artistic Director and Conductor: Rasmus Krigström.
Ringmasters (SE). Members: Rasmus Krigström, Jakob Stenberg, Emanuel Roll, Didier Linder.
Lemon Squeezy (SE). Members: Victor Nilsson, David Holst, Martin Jangö, Sam Molavi.
ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius (LT), Artistic Director & Conductor: Milda Švelnienė.
Concert Producers: Rasmus Krigström (Zero8), Audrius Valatkevičius (ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius).
Concert Sound: NO NOISE – Sound Design and Acoustics Company. Sound Engineer: Kęstutis Dulinskas.
Lighting & Stage Design: Delegatai – Event technical production company. Lighting Director & Operator: Povilas Varonenka (FadersUp.Live).
Sponsors & Partners
Open To The World 2025
ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ Open To The World Festival is a unique vocal-choir music project in Lithuania that has become a cherished tradition. It aims to showcase unique modern content and the world’s finest choirs, vocal ensembles, and composers. The festival promotes cultural and choral music innovation and fosters cooperation between Lithuanian and international musicians. It also serves as a platform to nurture Western culture, create music, and grow together.
Born in 2018, Open To The World will feature six concerts this year, bringing together more than 300 singers and musicians. The lineup includes one of the world’s leading professional choirs – the three-time Grammy-winning Berlin Radio Choir – performing their acclaimed immersive production “human requiem”; Sweden’s top male choir Zero8 and vocal ensembles Ringmasters and the 2024 World Barbershop Champions, Lemon Squeezy; the leading male choir from Spain’s Basque Country, Suhar Korua; soloist Jamal Moore (US); the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra; Lithuania’s finest boys’ choir Dagilėlis; and others.
The festival is sponsored by engineering, prefab, and construction company INHUS; the Business Garden Vilnius office park developed by Vastint Lithuania; the largest logistics and industrial property developer in the Baltic States, SIRIN Development; the Lithuanian Council for Culture; and the Vilnius City Municipality. LRT TV is the information partner, and Ogilvy is the advertising partner.
Sponsors and partners of the Berlin Radio Choir’s special performance “human requiem” include the Embassy of Germany in Vilnius, the Goethe-Institut Lithuania, LIDL Lietuva, Allianz Lietuva, and SAP Lietuva.