Open to the World'22: Bel Canto Choir Vilnius & Zero8

Open to the World’22: Bel Canto Choir Vilnius & Zero8 Together

An exceptional evening in Vilnius: Bel Canto Choir Vilnius and Zero8, Sweden's most popular male choir, in concert!

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius presents a very special evening – the seventh concert in the choir’s Open to the World series. At 7 pm on Sunday, November 27, over 80 singers from Bel Canto Choir Vilnius and Zero8 will perform a stylistically varied, heartfelt and unique selection of music at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. The concert will also feature the choir's friends: pianist Motiejus Bazaras, vocalist Lukas Malinauskas of the metal band McLoud, and a string quartet.

First meeting with the popular Swedes

Zero8 is one of the best and most popular male choirs in Sweden. It has made a name for itself as a barbershop, jazz and pop choir, but its repertoire also harmoniously blends classical pieces. Zero8, which features over 40 singers, became European barbershop champions for the fourth time in a row this year, has won numerous barbershop awards, and represented Sweden at the 2019 Eurovision Choir contest.

Performing in Lithuania for the first time, Zero8 will present a spectacular and diverse program that effortlessly combines classical, pop, and barbershop music. Some of the pieces have been arranged for the choir by Zero8's artistic director Rasmus Krigström. The talented Swedes will also surprise the audience with a choral interpretation of the traditional Georgian war dance Khorumi, as well as the soundtrack of the film Ronia, the Robbers Daughter, based on the book by the famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

Passion for contemporary choral music

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’s program will feature works by world’s best contemporary composers who are much loved by both audiences and the choir itself – Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo and John Rutter – as well as arrangements of popular music.

As ever, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius does not shy away from pushing the boundaries of choral music. This time, the choir will join forces with Lukas Malinauskas, lead singer of the Lithuanian metal band McCloud, to present a new version of the band’s song Aperol Spritz. It was arranged for Bel Canto Choir Vilnius by up-and-coming Swedish composer Henrik Dahlgren.

It will be the first experiment of its kind in Lithuania – the metal piece arranged for choir, string quartet, and piano will seek to unravel the subtleties in a heavy genre of music, combining them with the subtlety and flexibility of choral music.

80 singers from Zero8 and Bel Canto Choir Vilnius on one stage

Zero8 and Bel Canto Choir Vilnius are also preparing a spectacular finale for the concert. More than 80 singers from the Lithuanian and Swedish choirs will join together to perform popular classics such as Amazing Grace, This is My Song and Bring Me Little Water, Silvy.

Performers

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius (artistic director Egidijus Kaveckas)
Zero8 (artistic director Rasmus Krigström)
Motiejus Bazaras (piano)
Lukas Malinauskas (McLoud)
String Quartet led by Augustas Gocentas

Open to the World 2022

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ Open to the World is a unique choral music project in Lithuania that has now become a tradition. It aims to introduce world’s best choirs, vocal ensembles and composers to the Lithuanian audiences, to promote Western culture, to create, innovate and improve. Together.

This year, the 7th Open to the World ’22 concert, will feature Bel Canto Choir Vilnius performing with Zero8, one of Sweden's best and most popular male choirs.

The project is sponsored by engineering, prefab, and construction company INHUS, Business Garden Vilnius office park, Newsec, the largest property consultancy in Scandinavia and the Baltics, and the Vilnius City Municipality. The project’s media partner is LRT TV and its advertising partner is Ogilvy advertising.