EDUKACINIAI KONCERTAI

We chose this form of education because it seemed to us to be more understandable and accessible to a wider part of society. Each educational concert is dedicated to a certain theme, this theme is revealed by the pieces performed. The concert participants - children - learn more about Jewish culture and traditions while rehearsing the pieces, and the information presented in the concert is easily and simply accepted by the audience.

WHILE OAKS SING THE SONG OF LIFE (2023)

The concert is dedicated to the recently deceased writer Grigory Kanovich. The VIP guest of the concert in Akmene was Rafailas Karpis. Winners of international competitions, VMU Music Academy students Emilija Bagdonaitė, Liepa Dabriškaitė and Paulius Katiliavas - their professors - Sabina Martinaitytė and Audronė Eitmanavičiūtė - took part in the concerts in Akmenė on July 16th, in Kaunas on November 15th and in Vilnius on December 3rd. Unfortunately, due to the illness of several participants, we had to cancel the concert in Klaipėda. Concert artistic director Michailas Bolšunas, director Daiva Kvaukienė, choirmaster Žydrūnė Kazlauskaitė, stage art by Ilja Bereznickas.

Concert in Akmenė

Concert in Kaunas​

Concert in Vilnius

ABOUT HER AND ABOUT US (2022)

This programme was dedicated to the Jewish nightingale, the famous Lithuanian Jewish singer Nehama Lifshitz. Project participants performed her songs, talked about Nehama and her life during the play. VIP guest of the concert - Rafailas Karpis. Right before the start of the concert in Akmenė, Nehama's relative professor Ilja Bereznickas shared his non-standard memories about Nehama and greeted the audience on behalf of the singer's daughter Roza Litay. On July 17th, we performed in Akmene, on September 18th - for the Jewish community of Šiauliai region and guests in the "Polifonija" hall in Šiauliai, and on September 25th, in the S. Sondeckis concert hall of the National M.K.Čiurlionis School of Arts in Vilnius - for participants and guests of the international Nehama Lifshitz vocalist competition and members of the Jewish community. This concert was included in the official competition program.

Concert in Akmenė

Concert in Šiauliai​

Concert in Vilnius

PURIM FUN (2021)

The artistic director of the concert and the author of the arrangements of the musical pieces is Michailas Bolšunas, a longtime teacher of the J. Naujalis music school in Kaunas, now working in Riga and Kaunas. Daiva Kvaukienė, the scriptwriter and director, is from Akmene. Saxophonist Michail Javič from Kaunas also helped during the concerts. The concert was held in Akmene, during the week of Akmene city days, in the Pakruojis synagogue, and the "smaller team" of the participants also performed in Židikai. Planned concerts in Vilnius and Šiauliai have been postponed to the spring, hoping for a better pandemic situation. Unfortunately we were not able to perform there due to pandemics

Video of performance in Akmenė

Concert in Židikai

Performance in Akmenė

Performance in Pakruojis

ON SHABBAT EVENING (2020)

What happens in Jewish families on Friday night when the first star shines? What traditions are followed? What are the customs and why are they the way they are and not the other way around? The participants of the educational concert "Shabbat evening" tried to answer these questions: creative children from Vilnius, Akmenė, Naujoji Akmenė, Venta, Plateliai, as well as their teachers - violinists Michail Bolšunas (Riga) and Danguolė Vanagienė (Naujoji Akmenė), singer Žydrūnė Kazlauskaitė (Akmenė). The artistic director of the concert and the author of the arrangements of the music is Michailas Bolšunas, and the author of the script and director is Daiva Kvaukienė from Akmenė. Saxophonist Michail Javič from Kaunas also helped during the concerts. The concert was performed three times - in Akmene, during the Akmene City Days week, in the Frenkel Villa Park for Šiauliai City Days and  in Vilnius, at the Sholom Aleihem ORT Jewish Gymnasium. Concerts were also planned in Joniškis, Kaunas, Pakruojis - unfortunately, the coronavirus epidemic significantly adjusted the plans...

Performance in Akmenė on 24th July 2020

Performance in Šiauliai on 11th September 2020

Performance in Akmene

Performance in Šiauliai

Performance in Vilnius Sholom Aleichem ORT gymnasium

ŠIMAITĖ INVITS TO TALK (2019)

The 2019 project "Šimaitė invites to talk" was dedicated to Ona Šimaite, born in Akmenė, librarian and Righteous One of the World. The Holocaust in Akmenė region was also discussed, and the concert part of the project consisted of two performances.

"Your Anne"

Naujoji Akmenė Ramučiai high school students' performance "Your Anne", based on Anne Frank's diaries. Director Violeta Serbintienė.

"The Sounds of Shtetl"

The concert tells about the life of Jews in Lithuanian towns between the wars. Jewish Ashkenazi melodies were performed by the teachers and students of Naujos Akmene and Venta music schools, as well as members of the women's club "Akmenietė", artistic director of the concert and author of arrangements Vitalij Neugasimov, script author and director Daiva Kvaukienė.​
The event was attended by Bella Shirin, who, together with Mr. Rima and Andrius Almanis of the Akmenė city festival, danced to the rhythm of Jewish melodies. The life story of Bella, the ambassador of hearts, has already been presented to the people of Akmene with the performance "Shalom, Belissima!"

Moments from performance "The Sounds of Shtetl"