Home Department of Solo and Choral Singing Lithuanian version
CHILDRENS CHOIR OF LYRA MUSIC SCHOOL OF VILNIUS
Childrens choir of Lyra Music School of Vilnius is a participant of the 1st and 2nd International Festivals of Children Choir Music Klasika Vaikams (Classics for Children). The choir started its activity in 1992 under the leadership of Mr. Rolandas Aidukas. Since then the choir with the choirmaster Mr. R. Aidukas has given concerts abroad and in Lithuania and has taken an active part in song festivals, children art festivals and other events. In 1997 and 2005 the choir participated in Lithuanian Schoolchildren Song Festival, in 1998 and 2003 in the World Lithuanian Song Festivals (Vilnius). The choir regularly give performances at Vilnius city Children Choir Festival Dainuoju Tau (Singing for You), Schoolchildren Art Festival Džiaukimės drauge (Lets rejoice together). In 1998 the choir together with soloists and a string orchestra gave successful concerts in Italy (St. Peter Square at Vatican, Pantheon of Rome, Vico Equence Orient hall). In 2000 the choir performed the concerts in Poland, in 2001 in Riga Concert Hall Ave Sol (Latvia).
The year 2002 was an anniversary year for the choir. A celebratory anniversary concert at Vilnius Church of St. Johns was distinguished with fragments of G. B. Pergolesis cantata Stabat Mater performed by soloists and the choir. In the same year the choir participated in the opera-fairytale Pupa ir Seneliai (the Bean and Grandparents) by Mikas Vaitkevicius (1931-2006) at Vilnius Russian Drama Theatre. The opera was recorded on a CD, which was released in 2003. In the same year the choir prepared and performed one more new work of music by this composer The Mass in Honour of Casimir. The Mass was performed at sacral music concerts in Vilnius Cathedral and Vilnius St. Casimir church, too.
In 2003 the choir took part in a composer Kristina Vasiliauskaites concert in Vilnius Teachers House and the 4th sacral music choir festival Silver Bells in Daugavpils (Latvia).
On the 26th of February, 2004 the choir together with soloists and an orchestra participated in the first-night of the opera-fairytale Voro vestuvės (The Spider Wedding) by Mikas Vaitkevicius at Vilnius Russian Drama theatre. The Lithuanian press positively commented on the performance of the choir at the opera-fairytales.
In January of 2005 the childrens choir of Lyra Music School of Vilnius got an award at the 6th International Sacral Music Festival contest Sudraba zvani (Silver Bells). The choir was nominated the 2nd prize in childrens choir category (A).
On the 10th of May, 2005 the choir took part at Laurynas Vakaris Lopas the first-night musical Žiogo pievelės pasaka arba Tikri draugai (The Grasshopper Lawn Fairytale or Real Friends) at Vilnius Russian Drama theatre.
On the 27-31st of May, 2005 the childrens choir of Lyra Music School of Vilnius visited the Czech Republic. In Roznov Wallachian museum the choir performed a recital.
In 2006 the choir gave concerts in Riga (Latvia) and Prague (the Czech Republic).
On the 10 of November, 2006 at a pedagogue and composer Mikas Vaitkevicius anniversary evening party at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic the choir performed the composers vocal-instrumental suite Susiradom smuiko raktą (We found the treble clef), the last opus by the composer. The following artists took part at the evening party: the childrens choir and soloists of Lyra Music School of Vilnius, symphony orchestra of B. Dvarionas Music School of Vilnius, conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas. The concert was broadcast by Lithuanian National Television.
In 2007 the choir prepared musical composition of Lithuanian folk songs based on French translations of the lyrics made by Oskar Miłosz (the author of composition Rolandas Aidukas). It was performed at Vilnius Town Hall, Teacher Professional Development Centre and Vilnius J. Basanavicius Secondary School (for commemoration of Oskar Miłosz 130th birth anniversary).
The choirs repertory includes a number of classical works by Lithuanian and foreign composers starting from Gregorian chant up to K. Szymanowski and V. Laurušas. Repertories are formed in order to develop musical taste and intellect of pupils. The leader of the choir: Rolandas Aidukas, choirmaster: Evaldas Steponavičius, pianist accompanist: Živilė Survilaitė, vocal teacher: Prof. Irena Argustienė-Laurušienė.
Rolandas Aidukas, the conductor and choirmaster of the choir, studied conducting at Vilnius Tallat-Kelpsa College (teacher Danute Einikiene). He was a laureate of the State Competition of Young Performers in Kaunas in 1983. In 1984-1991 he studied conducting in a class of Prof. Antanas Jozenas at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire (now the Lithuanian Music Academy). He graduated from the Conservatoire with an honours degree and went on to obtain his Masters degree (tutor Prof. Rimtautas Kasponis) in 1991-1992. During those years of studying Rolandas Aidukas was singing in a chamber choir of the State Conservatoire which participated in international competitions in Italy, France, and Spain. Moreover, he was the choirmaster of the song and dance company Ruta (1989-1992) with successful performances in Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Moldova. During 1991-1996 he conducted the childrens choir of Vilnius St. Casmirs Church which chanted in the Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Vingis Park in Vilnius. In this Mass he also conducted the joint choir of children. In 2002 he conducted the première production of the composer M.Vaitkevicius Pupa ir seneliai (the Bean and Grandparents). In 2004 he conducted the première production of the composer M.Vaitkevicius Voro vestuvės. In 2006 he conducted the première production of the composer L. V. Lopas Žiogo pievelės pasaka arba Tikri draugai.
Since 1987 Rolandas Aidukas has worked in the Vilnius Music School Lyra where in 1991 he re-established the Department of Choral Singing, and in 1996 he set up a department of solo singing, too. His first students became laureates in the E.Ciudakova Competition, A.Kucingis Competition in Vilnius, and in the International C.Vender Competition of Young Singers in Bratislava. Rolandas Aidukas is a teacher in the Choir Conducting Department of the Lithuanian Music Academy and Vilnius Conservatoire. He is very interested in the Lithuanian spiritual choir music, writes and publishes articles on it and appears at academic conferences. His historical study Lithuanian Spiritual Choral Music was published by the Academy of Science of Lithuanian Catholics in Chronicle X (Vilnius, 1996).
Evaldas Steponavicius, a choirmaster, studied conducting in the Siauliai Music College (teacher B.Sulskiene) and at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire (Prof. A.Petrauskas). During those years of studying he played the organ and conducted the choirs in the Jerusalem Calvary St. Cross Church, Vilnius. Since 1993 E.Steponavicius has worked in the Vilnius Music School Lyra. As a chronicler of the choir, he has been recording professionally performances of the choir on the videotape.
Ausra Varneliene, the concertmaster, studied grand piano at the Lithuanian Music Academy (Docent J.Karnavicius). Since 1992 she has worked as a concertmaster there, and as a teacher and concertmaster in the Vilnius Music School Lyra. A.Varneliene positively participates in concerts and competitions in Lithuania and abroad. She has also been an excellent coordinator and announcer in concerts.
Telephone +37067315956
Email rolandas@cablenet.lt
