Bel Canto Choir Vilnius proudly presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: for the first time in the Baltics and Nordics, immerse yourself in the live experience of Christopher Tin’s iconic video game and cinematic music right here in Vilnius!
As part of its unique “Open To The World” festival, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius offers a series of exclusive concerts. On two consecutive nights – December 8-9, 2024 – the choir will perform with the project’s primary guest, Christopher Tin (US). Tin, a globally renowned composer of concert, opera, and video game music and a two-time Grammy winner, will be making his first visit to the Nordic-Baltic region. He will conduct the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, the Lithuanian vocal ensemble Duodeco, the A Scalpella (SE) mixed choir, and talented guest soloists Jamal Moore (US) and Tomas Pavilionis (LT).
Exclusive Concert Experience and Holiday Spirit in Vilnius
Christopher Tin's music has transcended borders, with millions worldwide streaming his compositions. Joining this global phenomenon, a team of over 150 singers and musicians from Lithuania, the USA, and Sweden will perform his most renowned works at the LSSO Concert Hall in Vilnius.
The concert commences with the Nordic-Baltic premiere of the composer's latest large-scale work, The Lost Birds (for choir, vocal ensemble, and orchestra). This piece, more than just a composition, is a profound social and environmental message, a musical tribute to bird species decimated by human activity. It's an evocative, poignant, and cinematic composition that honors the once-abundant flocks whose songs have faded. It underscores the fragility of our existence on this planet, reminding us that our actions have consequences.
The concert's second part focuses on selection from Christopher Tin's larger song cycles. Popular pieces from the composer's world-famous, Grammy-winning albums will be performed live for the first time in the region. For instance, Baba Yetu, from the album Calling All Dawns, was composed for the video game Civilization IV and became a hit song with hundreds of millions of streams worldwide. The piece has become a modern choral standard and made music history, too – it is the first piece written for a video game to win a Grammy Award.
Christopher Tin's multilingual song cycle Calling All Dawns also won him a second Grammy Award for Best Classical Album. At the same time, The Drop That Contained the Sea debuted at number one on the Billboard classical charts. It had its world premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York.
A One-of-a-Kind Night in the Baltics and Nordics
The concert will also feature works from another of the composer's world-renowned albums, To Shiver the Sky. This oratorio explores the history of flight and humanity's quest to conquer the sky. Eleven renowned astronomers, inventors, visionaries, and pilots reflect on our relentless drive to explore the universe, defy earthly bonds, and find our place among the stars.
The album's highlight and the concert's final performance is "Sogno di Volare," a hit with hundreds of millions of streams. Written for the video game Civilization VI, this composition musically illustrates Leonardo da Vinci's writings on flight. The piece is based on the concept of exploration: physically, in seeking out new lands, and intellectually, in seeking out new frontiers of science, technology, and the humanities.
Christopher Tin's work is a testament to the power of music to unite. Performed in many languages, including English, Latin, Italian, German, French, Polish, Sanskrit, and more, it speaks to our shared human experience, transcending differences in race, culture, and religion.
Artists & Performers
Christopher Tin (US), Composer & Conductor
Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director Gintaras Rinkevičius
Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, Artistic Director Milda Švelnienė
A Scalpella Choir (SE), Artistic Director Rasmus Krigström
Duodeco Vocal Ensemble (LT), Artistic Director Povilas Vanžodis
Jamal Moore (US), Soloist
Tomas Pavilionis (LT), Soloist
Concert Conductor Christopher Tin
Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ artistic director Milda Švelnienė, choirmasters Raminta Gocentienė and Povilas Vanžodis, vocal coaches Eglė Stundžiaitė and Eimantas Bešėnas.
The concert producers: Audrius Valatkevičius (Bel Canto Choir Vilnius) and Claire Long (Music Productions, UK).
Open To The World 2024
The 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 is also a platform to nurture Western culture, create music, and grow together.
Open To The World, which commenced in 2018, will present five concerts featuring over 200 singers and musicians this year. The lineup includes two-time Grammy winner, composer, and conductor Christopher Tin (US), Duodeco Vocal Ensemble (LT), Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, A Scalpella Choir (SE), soloists Jamal Moore (US) and Tomas Pavilionis (LT), one of the world’s most renowned vocal ensembles, The Real Group (SE), the barbershop vocal ensemble Lemon Squeezy (SE), vocalist and guitarist Marius Beck (NO), and Lithuania’s premier boys’ choir, Dagilėlis, among others.
The project 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 developers in the Baltic States, SIRIN Development, and the Vilnius City Municipality. LRT TV is the information partner, and Ogilvy is the advertising partner.