Petras Skirmantas, Professor of Dance and Movement at the Faculty of Theatre and Dance of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, has been awarded the Honorary Medal of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania. This award is the Ministry’s highest honour, given for significant achievements in Lithuanian education, science and sport. P. Skirmantas was honoured for his long-standing contribution to the development of Lithuanian dance art and the strengthening of dance education.

The award will be presented to him on 14 October, the day of the founding of the Education Commission of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This award is a sign of recognition not only for the professor, but also for the entire Lithuanian dance community.

Professor’s activities include not only teaching and training students, but also creative projects and cooperation with various international dance organisations. His innovative approach to dance and movement, as well as his commitment to the development of a new generation of dancers, is appreciated both in Lithuania and abroad. This prestigious award highlights his contribution not only to dance, but also to the development of culture in Lithuania.

LMTA inf.
2024-10-08

This September, after more than three decades of existence, the Department of Film and Television at the Faculty of Theatre and Cinema of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) officially became the LMTA National Film School (KIMO). This important change marks a new stage in film education in Lithuania and reflects the growth and achievements of the Academy. 

LMTA is the only higher education institution in Lithuania that offers film studies programmes. Founded in 1993 by the legendary director Henrikas Šablevičius, the Department of Film and Television has produced more than 1000 graduates who are today active in the Lithuanian film industry. Among them are international award-winning filmmakers such as Laurynas Bareiša, whose film “Pilgrims” was named the best film in the Orizzonti programme of the Venice Film Festival, Marija Kavtaradze, who won an award at the Sundance Film Festival, Saulė Bliuvaitė, who was awarded at the Locarno Film Festival, Vytautas Katkus, who was selected for the competition programme of the Cannes Film Festival, Audrius Stonys, who received the award from the European Academy of Cinema, and others.

The success of LMTA graduates, the high quality of their studies and united community have led to the popularity of film studies. In recent years, the number of specialisations in film studies at the LMTA has grown from four to seven, and the number of students has increased by around 40%. The development of film studies has been reinforced by the LMTA’s membership of the international alliance FilmEU and a new, modern infrastructure – this year marked the start of work by lecturers and students on the new LMTA Study Campus.

The National Film School will continue to train film directors, cinematographers, sound designers, editors, playwrights, producers and researchers in film culture. It will also host a wide range of national and international research on film and media, and initiate projects to promote intercultural dialogue and innovation.

“The creation of the National Film School will help to ensure continuity between different generations of filmmakers, facilitate the transfer of knowledge and ensure the accumulation of filmmaking experience. I also believe that it will become a unifying space for the entire film field and a potential forum for discussions on the further development of Lithuanian cinema,” emphasises Associate Professor Laurynas Bareiša, film director.

The mission of the National Film School is to provide a comprehensive education in film and media, combining theory, practice and innovation. “We strive to foster creativity, experimentation and an individual approach, ensuring that our students are able to create compelling and meaningful stories,” says the head of KIMO, Assoc. Prof. Vytautas Dambrauskas.

According to the Rector of the LMTA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Judita Žukienė, “The film studies and the film artists who teach there have recently been a source of joy at the Academy in terms of their relevance, creativity and openness to innovation. I have no doubt that the transformation of the Department into the National Film School and the opening of new spaces for filmmaking will stimulate a breakthrough in the studios and will strengthen their competitiveness in the international field of studies”.

KIMO is taught by renowned filmmakers and researchers of different generations, including National Prize laureates and internationally acclaimed artists such as Laurynas Bareiša, Audrius Stonys, Marija Kavtaradze, Giedrė Beinoriūtė, Ramūnas Greičius, Vytis Puronas, Birutė Kapustinskaitė, Titas Laucius and others. “The Department, which has become the National Film School, has acquired its own face and a clear vision, which will help to maintain the link between the filmmakers of the past and the filmmakers of the future,” said Audrius Stonys, a filmmaker, professor, doctor of art.

2024 09 16

After more than twelve years of negotiations, preparations and successful construction, the students and lecturers of theatre, film and dance specialisations of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) are starting the new academic year in the new buildings of the study campus at Olandų str. 21A, Vilnius. The Faculty of Theatre and Film and the Small Halls Block will concentrate and make effective use of the synergies between the arts and the opportunities for interdisciplinary art. It is a unique space for study, creation and research, allowing the most up-to-date artistic and scientific innovations to be put into practice.

The theatre studios have a modern Black Theatre Hall with a capacity of over 170 people, 9 spacious classrooms for acting and directing classes and 6 smaller classrooms for individual work and self-study. With specialised flooring, the 4 dance classrooms are fully equipped for contemporary and classical dance studies. The White Ballroom, a very spacious, almost 9 m high room, is open for dance performances.

The new infrastructure for cinema is designed for all stages of creation, production and dissemination: from filming and editing to screening. This includes large and small film studios, a make-up room, a sound studio, video and sound editing rooms, a light-testing auditorium, screening rooms, a cinema laboratory (Dolby Atmos sound system) and a 99-seat cinema hall (Dolby surround sound system).

In order to provide the best possible conditions for lecturers and students, the new Academy building includes 3 modern lounges, which will become a place for discussion, collaboration and generation of new ideas. A new professorium is available for meetings, discussions and lecture preparation for the faculty.

The value of the project for the construction of the first two buildings of the LMTA Study Campus is over 29 million Euros, of which 19 million Euros were financed by the EU Regional Development Fund and the state budget, and 10.2 million Euros were covered by the LMTA’s own and borrowed funds. The investment was used for the contract works for the first phase of the construction of the buildings of the Study Campus, for the purchase of specialised equipment for art studios and for creative and research innovations. The design work for the Campus was carried out by UAB “Paleko archstudija” and UAB “Projektų rengimo centras”. The contract works were carried out by UAB “Infes”.

The completion of the first stage of the construction of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s study campus and the opening of new modern spaces dedicated specifically for theatre, cinema and dance are already influencing the Faculty’s development, ensuring the competitiveness of studies and creating conditions for the development of relations and joint projects with international partners. The successful implementation of the project is an exceptional event in Lithuanian culture. The new complex of innovations in art creation, research and studies will be opened to the general public: The LMTA will invite its students and teachers to performances, dance events, film screenings, project presentations, discussions and meetings with the creators of today and tomorrow.

The opening of the first buildings of the LMTA Study Campus will take place on 30 August.

2024 08 27

On August 17, 2024, the awards ceremony of the 77th Locarno International Film Festival took place in Switzerland. Lithuanian filmmakers proudly brought home six awards!

The festival’s main prize, the Golden Leopard, was won by director Saulė Bliuvaitė, an alumna of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA), for her debut feature film “Toxic” (“Akiplėša”). This film also won the Best Debut award and received two monetary prizes from the Ecumenical and Youth Juries.

“Toxic” tells the story of teenage life in a bleak industrial district. Dreaming of escaping their town with no prospects, thirteen-year-olds Marija and Kristina prepare to participate in the country’s biggest modeling competition. In their pursuit to meet beauty standards, the girls resort to drastic measures. “This story is based on real events, and the characters are real people. When I started making this film, I thought I was telling a story about the past, about the face of my generation, about something that no longer exists. But during the creative process, interacting with many teenagers of different ages, I realized that the film’s theme is very relevant to them as well. I allowed myself not to be tied to a specific time period, merging my experiences with those of contemporary teenagers. This shaped the world of the film, which has no time definition,” explains the film’s director, Saulė Bliuvaitė. The film’s cinematographer is Vytautas Katkus, producer Giedrė Burokaitė, and executive producer Justė Michailinaitė.

Another film bringing home two awards for Lithuania is “Drowning Dry” (“Sesės”), directed by Laurynas Bareiša (produced by Klementina Remeikaitė and Matiss Kaža). This film won the Best Director award, and the cast—Gelminė Glemžaitė, Agnė Kaktaitė, Giedrius Kiela, and Paulius Markevičius—was recognized for Best Acting.

The film takes place on a hot summer day. Two couples—Justė with her family and Ernesta with her son and husband, who has just celebrated a victory in the martial arts ring—arrive at a countryside house for a peaceful weekend. A lake, an outdoor terrace with a grill, conversations about life and future plans—everything seems normal. But soon, it becomes clear that beneath the idyllic surface of their relationships lie unspoken feelings, jealousy, and competition. It’s only a matter of time before everything comes to the surface.

Director Laurynas Bareiša, an associate professor at the LMTA National Film School and one of the heads of the Film Master’s program, won the Venice Film Festival’s “Horizons” award two years ago with his debut film “Pilgrims” (produced by Klementina Remeikaitė).

Sources: kinopavasaris.lt; lkc.lt; lmta.lt

In July 2024, Lithuania started the month of July with the 100th anniversary Song Festival. This unique tradition, recognised by UNESCO, brought together thousands of participants from Lithuania and abroad to celebrate the vitality of the nation’s culture, history and traditions. The theme of the celebration, “May the Green Forest Grow”, symbolised the synthesis of nature and culture, encouraging the preservation of both nature and culture for future generations.

A large number of students, alumni and lecturers of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre helped to create a spectacular and inspiring atmosphere of the festival with their songs, dances, conductor’s gestures, and sounds of instruments. We are very grateful to them!

The main highlights of the celebration were Anniversary Song Day “Hills Green with Forests” in Kaunas, Kanklės Concert “Let the Kanklės Play”, Ensembles Evening “The Tree of Life”, Vocal Ensembles Concert “Who are You, Earth?”, Brass Band Concert “Brass Storm” and Dance Day “Through the Bridges of the Ages”. The finale of the celebration was the Song Day participant procession and concert in Vingis Park, which was attended by almost 400 choirs and around 12 000 singers.

2024 07 09

Europe’s most talented young chamber ensembles will be in Vilnius for the whole week of St John’s Day to hone their performance skills. The European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) session will conclude with the launch of the digital platform for performers’ career skills and two chamber ensemble concerts at the Museum of Energy and Technology and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

“This is the eighth edition of the European Chamber Music Academy masterclasses, lectures, workshops and concerts organised by the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. We feel honoured to be members of this prestigious organisation for more than 10 years. Lithuania is the only Baltic country that belongs to this organisation. Our sessions always attract a lot of attention from foreign professors and ensembles and are highly appreciated”, says Prof. Dr. Indrė Baikštytė. 

This ECMA session will focus on career planning for chamber music ensemble performers and on developing skills in new performance forms. The practical lectures will be given by chamber music luminaries: the ECMA’s Artistic Director, violinist Prof. Johannes Meissl, Vice-Rector of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, pianist Prof. Avedis Kouyoumdjian, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and violist Prof. Patrick Jüdt, University of the Arts Berne. Curator and consultant Andreas Vierziger, who has worked with brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Netflix and Sony Pictures, and Inga Uus, a coach, start-up mentor, strategic management and marketing consultant, will also share their experience.

The eighth ECMA Session is special because it will launch the ECMA Digital Knowledge Platform, a new digital tool to help young chamber music ensembles develop. On this platform, chamber music ensemble performers will find a wealth of useful information, lessons, lectures and presentations on chamber music performance, teaching and career opportunities. The new digital tool will be launched at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, from where it will be broadcast to many European music schools. Two piano trios participating in the ECMA session, Ensemble Ramé and Trio Susato, will play during the event.

The ECMA session brings together 6 ensembles from 5 European music schools: the Susato Trio, the Trio Sheliak, Ensemble Ramé, the Cuore Piano Trio, the Coda Quartet and the Helio String Quartet. It is truly impressive that these ensembles include musicians from as many

as 10 different countries – Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, USA, Philippines, Ukraine, Norway, China and Lithuania. Our country is represented this year by the young and promising Helio String Quartet. All these chamber ensembles participating in the ECMA Session will be heard in two concerts open to the public on 27 June at 7 pm. 27 June at the Museum of Energy and Technology and 29 June at 7 pm. The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Great Hall.

“In these concerts, which will take place in a special setting, we will hear refined interpretations of piano trios and string quartets. The programme includes time-honoured masterpieces of chamber music, as well as new works from the second half of the 20th century. This only confirms the great power of chamber music to bring the world and its people closer together,” says I. Baikštytė. 

ECMA, or the European Chamber Music Academy, is an international network of European music academies whose mission is to nurture young talent by focusing on established chamber music ensembles such as string quartets, piano trios and others. In order to promote the chamber music tradition and the best young and driven ensembles, the ECMA organises training for top-class performers and provides opportunities for them to present themselves to the general public through concerts.
ECMA graduates and world-renowned ensembles such as the Boulanger Trio, Quartetto di Cremona, Minetti Quartet, Quatuor Zaïde, Trio Gaspard, Trio Bohémo, and many others have gone on to successful careers. Two Lithuanian ensembles – the FortVio Piano Trio (2012-2014) and the Mettis String Quartet (2014-2016) – have become laureates of renowned international competitions thanks to ECMA training, and have given numerous concerts abroad, featuring not only world classical and contemporary music, but also Lithuanian chamber music repertoire.

The first annual FilmEU Summit 2024, the forum of the FilmEU Alliance of European Universities. Navigating the future” took place last week, bringing together more than 150 participants: teachers, administrators and students from eight countries. The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre team shares their impressions and news.

The Forum’s agenda was packed with a wide range of events: a symposium of Alliance leaders, thematic working group meetings, inspiring presentations by experts, interesting presentations of artistic research projects, a screening of student films and informal networking with colleagues from all Alliance partner HEIs. 

The event featured a variety of closed and open sessions – working group meetings, activity presentations, guest speakers, a leadership symposium, meetings of the Academic Council and the Alliance Steering Committee – to discuss important issues related to the future of the film and media industry, scientific and artistic research and innovation, and higher education integration.
The meetings discussed one of the important objectives of the FilmEU Alliance, which is to contribute to the integration and standardisation of higher education in Europe, not only facilitating the movement of students between different countries and universities, but also increasing the recognition of their qualifications across Europe.

“Even before the official launch of the programme, representatives of LMTA and other higher education institutions from other countries have been working intensively on the development of a joint bachelor’s degree programme. The content of the studies, the expected programme outcomes, the movement of students between institutions, quality assurance and other important elements were discussed and approved. This joint degree programme is expected to start in 2025. As an associate member of this joint study programme, LMTA will contribute by organising a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) for all students of the intended joint study programme. It is expected that this programme will open even wider international opportunities for both LMTA and foreign students”, – shares Natalija Verbickienė, Head of Quality and Strategic Planning Department. 

Importantly, the Academic Council of the European University of Cinema and Media Arts, consisting of rectors, presidents, deans, steering committee, student and staff representatives, gathered in Bratislava during the Forum, issued a joint statement in support of the idea and implementation of a common European degree.

Ingrida Jasonienė, Project Manager, says that the WIRE meeting at the Forum has planned training sessions for PhD students until the end of 2028, a MOOC and a Fall Seminar for researchers, including third-country researchers from Ukraine and the Balkans, as well as training for researchers in the laboratories of the FilmEU Alliance schools.

Vitalij Zenčenko, FilmEU project coordinator, stresses that the work of the international audiovisual team of students who took part in the Forum deserves special mention: “The students from different disciplines – photographers, cameramen, editors – did an excellent job in creating video reviews of the event, social media posts, and recording interviews with the guests and organisers. We are glad that even four students from the Film and Television Department of the LMTA – National Film School – were among them!”

This week the Vice-Rector of Arts and Science Ramunė Balevičiūtė visited Sakartvelis, where she took part in the first Lithuanian-Sakartvelis Cultural Forum. She gave a presentation on the history and present of Lithuanian theatre at the Lithuanian Language and Culture Centre of Prof. Vidas Kavaliauskas of the Technical University of Sakartvelo, under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Sakartvelo.
She also visited the Shota Rostaveli Theatre and Film University and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation with the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
“Lithuania and Sakartvel have close cultural ties. It is great to feel the admiration of the people of Kartveli for our culture and art – cinema, theatre, photography. However, our artists have also been and continue to be influenced by the artists of Sakartveland. Equally important is some deep emotional or spiritual connection between us and the artists and cultural people of Kartveli. Of course, the fact that a number of Lithuanian artists were educated in Tbilisi and spent their formative years here is also important. Today, the trajectories of higher education in Lithuania and Sakartveli are somewhat diverging, but we certainly have something to offer each other and to learn from each other,” the Vice-Rector shares her impressions.

For us, the famous Cannes Film Festival raising the curtain on 14 May, is of particular interest: the official competition programme includes the work “Ootid” (Lith. Ootidė) by director Eglė Razumaitė and producer Lineta Lasiauskaitė, who are both studying at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

This is the second time in the history of the Lithuanian cinema that a short film will compete for the Grand Prix in the

short film competition programme of the Cannes Film Festival.

The film “Ootid”(Litht. Ootidė) was created by director Eglė Razumaitė (2^nd-year Master student in Film Directing), assisted by producer Lineta Lasiauskaitė (4^th-year Bachelor student), as well as sound designer Auksė Jurevičiūtė (2^nd-year Master student in Film Directing), and cinematographer Nojus Drąsutis, who recentIy earned his bachelor’s degree at the LMTA. It’s worth noticing that the creative team was working on the film independently during the summer holidays.

While the film is not yet open to the Lithuanian audience, we know that the story takes the viewer to a summer camp where a girl named Viltė leaves the camp for mysterious reasons. The other girls in the camp speculate about what might have happened to their friend. The film touches on the topics of femininity, transformation, and alienation.

We spoke to Egle Razumaitė, the director of “Ootidė”, and producer Lineta Lasiauskaitė, just before their departure to Cannes. We are excited to share the filmmakers’ thoughts, aspirations, and advice they have for other students in the art of cinema. 

Invaluable experience

“I have very mixed feelings: there is the joy of having been shortlisted at the Court Métrage Competition (short film) programme, and there’s also the anxiety of the upcoming premiere. From the moment we received the email informing that “Ootide” will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, our usual day-night routine has changed, because participating at such a high-level festival goes far beyond just the screening,” shares Lineta.

The producer reveals they had to deal with certain challenges: “Within a very short time, we had to develop a copy of the film that meets the festival’s requirements for sound design, subtitling, translation, technical parameters, and so on. We also had to provide various materials and information requested by the festival organisers.  Together with Eglė, we had to participate in the online Focus COPRO’ training, which in itself is a considerable achievement. On top of that, I had to arrange travel and accommodation, as well as the representation of the film,” continues Lineta, “but I can probably state that the feeling is incredible and exceptional. From participating in the festival, I expect to gain invaluable experience in the professional field and everyday life, make new interesting connections, and, of course, a warm welcome

to the international market.”

 “Now, as I’m leaving, I finally feel calm as we’ve managed to arrange everything. It’s not only this significant premiere that is about to happen; there is also the screening of the final master’s project, and my thesis defence. So, it seems that within a very short time, I received an enormous dose of stress and I felt as if I was falling apart while trying to manage everything going on in my life,” Eglė reveals about her first impressions and reactions.

“Now, however, I am thrilled to realise that our creative team has received such a significant assessment, which opens doors for everyone. I am also happy about my master’s final project recently filmed in Berlin, and excited about an opportunity to present not only our short film at Cannes, but also the vision for our feature film – this vision has been selected for the series of Focus COPRO’ workshops organised under the Cannes Film Festival.  These workshops are teaching us to work following the co-production model, present the idea of a feature film, search for the partners required for making a film. I look forward to the festival because I know that it will bring invaluable connections, inspiring conversations and, I hope, partners for the project of our feature film,” says the director.

Advice to students: be brave and work, work, work

We asked Eglė and Lineta, who are about to graduate from the Academy, to share some advice with the students.

“I would like to wish our students the strongest possible motivation and perseverance in their professional fields, endless dedication to their work, and respect for their team. Yet, the main thing is to have a goal and strive for it consistently and carefully. I would also like to advise them to take into account the experience of their senior colleagues, yet without attaching too much significance to them, especially when people say that only filmmakers who have been in the film industry for a long time and won several awards can get into the competition programme of the Cannes Film Festival. Our team has broken these stereotypes and proved that a young, driven, confident team, who are passionate about their profession, can be selected from among 4.5 thousand contestants,” says Lineta.

“I absolutely agree with Lineta’s idea. Also, my advice is to be brave and in your creative work, speak up about things that seem important to you. Avoid compromises when choosing topics. And work, work, work. I think cinematography is exclusively an area of “doing”: the film “Ootidė“ perfectly illustrates how it was born out of a great desire to make a film even when there were no conditions for it at all,” continues Eglė.  

The Future Plans are Challenging

Naturally, after such a success when the film “Ootide” will from now on be associated with the names of the filmmakers, we asked Lineta and Eglė how they evaluate it and what they plan for the future.

“In my head, I do have plans for our more distant future, and together with Eglė, we have already started making small steps towards them. As for our short-term plans, in the coming year, we’re planning to apply to participate in A-list festivals with another short film that we’ve been working on with the same team,” explains Lineta, adding that she hopes the premiere of this film will be just as impressive.

Lineta also mentions that she and Eglė are graduating from the Academy in June: Eglė is about to earn a master’s degree in Film Directing, while Lineta is going to receive her Bachelor’s in Film Production, so one of their short-term plans is to pass the final exams successfully.

“Regarding our names being associated with the film “Ootidė”, we do understand that this is not only a short-lived honour. It’s a long-term commitment to not lower the creative bar but only to raise it. These new challenges are our joy and motivation,” Lineta adds.

Eglė shares her plans too: “At this point, I would like to be well-prepared for writing the script for a feature film and in the coming year after graduation, just to immerse myself in this work. I think “Ootidė” and “Signal Path” (Lith. “Signalo kelias”), the film that will be presented in the final exam, perfectly summarise and feature both my signature as filmmaker and the direction in which I would like to develop. And, for me, to adapt it to a feature film is an exciting challenge.” 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and we wish you the best of luck!

The Erasmus+ week “Intercultural relations and creative communication” took place at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre from 8-12 April.

The CIP course started on 6 March with distance lectures and ended on 24 April. In total, 19 students from Aveiro University in Portugal, Liepaja University in Latvia, Tampere University of Applied Sciences in Finland, Cracow Academy of Music in Poland, and Estonia participated, as well as 6 lecturers from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Lect. Viltė Gridasova-Rusevičienė, doc. Vytis Puronas, lect. Audrius Dabrovolskas), cinematographer Herman Hoffman (Toby) Birney and lect. Yohanna Sirkesalo from Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

During the intensive programme, music, design, communication and new media arts students worked on a wide range of creative ideas – from the city of Vilnius as a space for young people to find inspiration to create; an exhibition to be presented in one of Tampere’s city galleries; digital posters of the city of Vilnius depicting a different artist’s day in the city; to musical compositions inspired by different visual arts.

It is planned that this Erasmus+ intensive week course will be extended in one of the partner institutions of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2025.

Saturday (4 May) could be a fateful day for the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Brass LT at the 45th European Brass Band Championships in Palanga. It is on this day that the brass band representing Lithuania will compete in the challenge group of the championship.
Over the 45-year history of the European Brass Band Championship, this competition has become a prestigious event held in the most beautiful cities of Europe, attracting Europe’s best brass bands and their fans every year.

“We are creating a new page in the history of Lithuanian music. So it is understandable that we are making every effort to perform as successfully as possible: we have found a conductor for the orchestra who has a lot of experience in this genre, the whole Academy is involved and supports us in the championship, all 35 members of the orchestra have invested their time and energy to prepare as well as possible. That is why we set ourselves the highest goal and we think that our expectations are justified – gold”, – says Prof. Dr. Robertas Beinaris, Head of the Department of Wind and Percussion Instruments of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

By winning gold in the challenge group, Brass LT would be placed in the championship group, where they will compete next year.
According to Prof. R. Beinaris, the founder of the LMTA brass band, such competitions for brass bands are popular in Western and Northern Europe, and Lithuania, although a relatively newcomer, is already seen as a serious player: five years ago Brass LT won silver at the European Championship in Switzerland, and the right to organize the championship in Lithuania, in Palanga, was also granted for a reason.
The LMTA Brass Band will be conducted by the Academy’s lecturer Russel Gray (United Kingdom). Brass LT is directed by Prof. R. Beinaris, lecturer Remigijus Vilys, Prof. Kazys Daugėla.
Brass LT won the right to represent Lithuania at the European Championship at the XXIV Lithuanian Brass Band Championship, which took place at the beginning of March, where 27 brass bands competed.

Last week, the heads of the European Higher Schools of Theatre gathered at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Not only was there a workshop for the teachers of the École des Écoles network, but also an extraordinary congress of the members of this association. During this congress, the Head of the Department of Acting and Directing, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elzė Gudavičiūtė, was elected to the Board of this international network of Higher Schools of the Arts for a three-year term of office. 

“I am sincerely glad that the events of the École des Écoles Network, which took place at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre throughout the week, went smoothly, that the Department of Acting and Directing was able to ensure the quality of the workshop content and, together with other departments of the Academy, smoothly prepared and organised both the workshop and the extraordinary meeting of the members of the Association. The reflections and comments of the foreign lecturers who took part in the workshop on the closing evening were gratifying in their positivity and in their observation of the uniqueness and distinctiveness of our Theatre School. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the practitioners of the performing arts who conducted the workshop,” said Elzė Gudavičiūtė, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Acting and Directing at the Academy of Performing Arts of Latvia, after the workshop dedicated to the members of the École des écoles .

“The two-day extraordinary meeting of the heads of the Association’s higher education art schools, which followed the workshop, was devoted to the preparation of a new strategic partnership project. During this meeting, the new board of the École des Écoles network was also elected. It will be made up of school leaders and performing arts professionals from Hamburg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania and Romania for the next three years,” – added E. Gudavičiūtė, who was also elected to the association’s Board.

The École des Écoles network brings together 16 European Higher Education Schools of the Arts, promotes the exchange of performing arts teachers, organises workshops to improve teachers’ competences and runs international projects involving teachers and students.

We are delighted to announce the Call for Papers for the international Baltic Musicological Conference “Music History Beyond State Borders: Micro-, Meso-, and Macro-Regionality of Musical Culture”, to be held at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Vilnius, Lithuania).

Conference is organised by
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
IMS Study Group Music and Cultural Studies

Vilnius, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
October 29–31, 2024

Keynote speakers:
Prof. Jörg Hackmann
Professor of History
International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Kulice, University of Szczecin (http://www.joerghackmann.eu/Joerg_Hackmann/about_me.html)

Dr. Rasika Ajotikar
Junior Professor of Ethnomusicology
Institute for Music and Musicology|Center for World Music 
University of Hildesheim

(https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/musik/team/professoren/prof-dr-rasika-ajotikar/)

Dr. Tatjana Marković
Associate Professor of Musicology
Austrian Academy of Sciences|IMS Study Group “Music and Cultural Studies”
(https://www.oeaw.ac.at/acdh/team/current-team/tatjana-markovic)

Area studies are focused on specific geographic territories or specific cultures. This interdisciplinary research includes geography, history, sociology, political science, literature, linguistics, and gradually entering musicology. The still dominant concept of music history is based on nationalism, that is, today’s state borders and moreover, the ethnic majority. The aim of this conference is to broaden the mentioned concept by stepping beyond the state borders, focusing on geographically and culturally determined micro-, meso-, and macroregions through history. Furthermore, the inclusion of different kinds of minorities, as well as imperial (Byzantine, Ottoman, Russian, British, French and others) and political legacies (communist, socialist) would be of significance. In order to overcome the traditional (Western) centre versus periphery division, and the strictly determined historical regions, the temporarily centres would be placed anywhere where the area studies are focused.

A mesoregion is defined as ‘connected by time that crosses the boundaries of a state, society, nation, and civilization’ (Troebst). The term ‘mesoregion’ designates a group of several states forming a region – for instance, the Baltic region, the Balkans, or the Middle East – in historical terms and in political terminology. A mesoregion is different from a microregion (a subnational unit), and also from a macroregion (a continent: Africa, Asia, Latin America). Mesoregion as a relative category in the framework of conceptual history and ‘as the premises of its social production, its ideological underpinnings, as well as the various forms of interpretation and representation that it embodies’ (Mishkova and Trencsényi). Additionally, the micro- and mesoregional perspective can be different from outside and within the areas through the reception of a given musical culture and its self-representation. This approach would provide a profound insight into sub- and supraregional facets of cultural and musical life and the network of overlapping regional cultural and musical traditions.

The conference is therefore not limited to specific regions and cultures, but encourages the perspectives and exchange across the boundaries of cultures, regions and disciplines. The programme committee encourages submissions within the following areas, although other topics are welcome:
– micro regional musical culture as an identity signifier;
– mesoregional music history or opera beyond the state border;
– network of music institutions within a meso- and macro region;
– supranational macro- or mesoregional history of music;
– cross-cultural transfer within a mesoregion or among different mesoregions.

Conference convenors: Rūta Stanevičiūtė, Tatjana Marković
Programme committee: Antonio Baldassarre, Zdravko Blažeković, Tatjana Marković, Lina Navickaitė-Martinelli, Rima Povilionienė, Rūta Stanevičiūtė (Chair)
Conference coordinator: Zita Abramavičiūtė-Mučinienė

Submission
The conference language is English. There will be two options: individual papers and panels (of 3 or 4 presenters).

Papers
We invite abstracts of no longer than 300 words, including five keywords and an optional list of references (max 10). Individual paper presentations are 20 minutes long to be followed by 10 minutes of discussion.

Panels
The panel organizer should submit the panel abstract and all individual abstracts (200 words each) in one document, with a full list of participant names and email addresses.

Please submit proposals as a doc/odt/rtf attachment to mokslas@lmta.lt by 15 May 2024. The following format should be used:

• Name, affiliation and contact email address
• Type of presentation (select one from: panel, individual paper)
• Title of presentation
• Abstract (300 words maximum; in the case of panels, include a general abstract followed by individual abstracts, in total 1200 words maximum)
• Keywords
• CV (100 words maximum; in case of panels, CVs of all participants)

Accepted speakers will be informed by 15 June 2024. The conference registration fee – 30 EUR (student registration fee – 15 EUR). It includes conference material, coffee breaks and conference reception. Information about registration and accommodation will be sent after acceptance of proposals. The organisers will invite the students and early career scholars accepted to present at the Baltic Musicological Conference to apply for travel grants to support their travel to the conference, incl. airfare and lodging. Award amounts will depend on the number of applications received and travel distance awardees. 

The selected papers will be invited for publication in the international peer-reviewed scientific journal “Lithuanian Musicology” (indexed in SCOPUS, EBSCO, RILM, ERIH PLUS). The conference organisers look forward to receiving your submissions!

Contact e-mail:

Zita Abramavičiūtė-Mučinienė, mokslas@lmta.lt

The Lithuanian polyphonic songs sutartinės–– included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Lithuania–– are enjoying a renaissance and receiving increasing attention from researchers not only in Lithuania, but around the world. The prestigious academic publishing house Cambridge Scholars Publishing has printed a book titled “Past and Present Lithuanian Polyphonic Sutartinės Songs” by Daiva Vyčinienė, ethnomusicologist and professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Published at the end of February, the book delves into polyphonic sutartinės songs not as a merely Lithuanian phenomenon – their analogies are sought both in neighbouring countries and distant exotic cultures such as the Japanese subculture of the Ainu people. The book shares the findings of long-term research as well as the latest insights into the place the sutartinės songs occupy in today’s culture. This book is an ethnomusicological study significantly supported by the findings of research into ethnology, archaeology, and linguistics.

“I think, primarily, the very fact that the tradition of the Lithuanian sutartinės songs has been promoted in the cultural space worldwide is of the utmost importance. Yet, what is as important is that the book acknowledges the sutartinės songs not being merely a historical phenomenon that has left a lasting mark on culture: it sees sutartinės as today’s vigorous tradition with a myriad of different forms of expression. Sutartinės are revealed as a phenomenon combining the music of the Lithuanian agricultural culture of the past with today’s variety of artistic expressions. The sutartinės songs, which today have become one of the most prominent features of the Lithuanian identity, are evolving into somewhat of a “key” opening the door to the perception of the Lithuanian mentality,” unfolds the author.

Professor Daiva Račiūnaitė-Vyčinienė heads the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Dr. Daiva Račiūnaitė-Vyčinienė has a PhD in Humanities, is Chief Researcher at the Archive of Musical Folklore, and has received two major awards:  the Lithuanian State Jonas Basanavičius Award for research and social activities in the field of ethnic culture (2002) and the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts for promoting folkloristics (2021).

Professor Daiva Račiūnaitė-Vyčinienė’s research dedicated to the sutartinės songs (more than 100 conference presentations, 150 academic papers, and 4 monographs) contributed to the fact that UNESCO included the sutartinės song into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

We hope that the book “Past and Present Lithuanian Polyphonic Sutartinės Songs” will not only help to gain a better understanding of the sutartinės songs but also inspire new research into the phenomenon.