It is hard to imagine the cultural life of Vilnius without choral music, and among its most dedicated champions a special place belongs to Maestro Vytautas Žvirblis – conductor, pedagogue, and cultivator of Lithuania’s choral tradition. For more than two decades, he shaped generations of future choral leaders at the Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Music School in Vilnius, where he also chaired the Department of Choral Conducting. Later, he continued teaching at the Lithuanian State Conservatory. Today, many of his students are themselves prominent conductors and educators – among them Martynas Staškus, Dainius Stumbras, and many others who carry forward the Maestro’s vision.
Vytautas Žvirblis’s life was deeply intertwined with Vilnius: here he not only educated young musicians but also led artistic ensembles, including the Vilnius Medical Workers’ Ensemble “Rūta”, with which he performed in Lithuania and abroad, bringing renown to the city’s musical name. He also served as a consultant for national Song Festivals, a jury member for choir gatherings and competitions, and contributed greatly to sustaining one of Lithuania’s most important cultural traditions – the Song Festival.
Today, Maestro’s legacy lives on not only in the creative work of his students but also in his family. At the concert dedicated to Vytautas Žvirblis’s 95th anniversary, the music will feature his closest relatives: his daughter, pianist Aleksandra Žvirblytė, together with saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas, and his grandson, pianist Paulius Andersson. The evening will also include a performance by the Symphony Orchestra of the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, conducted by the Maestro’s student, Martynas Staškus.
This evening is a gesture of gratitude for the gifts that Vytautas Žvirblis left to Vilnius and Lithuanian music: the generations of conductors he nurtured, the living spirit of choral music, and the enduring bond with the city where he created, taught, and inspired.
Event partner – Vilnius Town Hall
