Virtual choir. Lithuania [Vol. 2]

The success of the Lithuanian virtual choir 2016 and support received from the composer Eric Whitacre, who came to Vilnius, encouraged us in 2018 to implement the second part of the Project – “Virtual Choir. Lithuania [Vol. 2]”, dedicated to the Centenary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania.

Two national virtual choir projects are intended to be implemented, which means that singers will have an opportunity to participate in performing two pieces of choral music: “Tautiška giesmė” (The National Anthem) and a new opus “Sanctus” created especially for virtual choir project, the author of which is Vaclovas Augustinas, one of the outstanding choir music composers in Lithuania, conductor of Vilnius Municipal choir “Jauna muzika” (Young Music).

A virtual choir is an audiovisual record created using computer programmes, when videos of individual singer performances are combined into one single performance of a choir.

The first performance of a virtual choir took place in 2010. Then, the American composer Eric Whitacre brought together individual singers from different countries to sing together for the first time in the world’s history. Since then, four such projects have been implemented.

On 17 June 2016, the first premiere of Lithuanian virtual choir took place. 100 singers participated in this project: 93 performers from Lithuania, 6 singers from the USA and 1 singer from Spain. All these singers sang the same song „Kur giria žaliuoja“ (Forest Greenery Around) created by the composer Juozas Gudavičius. This virtual choir performance was accompanied by live improvisation of an instrumental ensemble.

How to participate in project: www.virtualuschoras.lt