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A Unique Holiday Experience: The legendary Swedish vocal ensemble, The Real Group, and Lithuania’s finest, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, will meet for the first time in Vilnius! Together, they will present a festive program that harmoniously blends contemporary choral music, jazz, pop, and Christmas classics.

As part of its unique Open To The World festival, Bel Canto Choir Vilnius offers a series of exclusive concerts. On two consecutive nights, December 15-16, 2024, the choir will perform with one of the world’s most renowned Swedish vocal ensembles, The Real Group. The concert will also feature the Swedish barbershop quartet Lemon Squeezy, Norwegian vocalist and guitarist Marius Beck, soloist Lina Dambrauskaitė, a string quartet led by Augustas Gocentas, and other talented artists.

Exclusive Concert Experience and Holiday Spirit in Vilnius

This year, celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Real Group and the barbershop quartet Lemon Squeezy will present a unique blend of jazz, pop, and Northern European vocal music in programs enriched with tasteful choreography and Christmas classics.

Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ program will feature contemporary choral and popular music, highlighted by solo performances from choir members Mindaugas Rumšas (saxophone), Justinas Stanevičius (vocals), and Andrius Gailiūnas (acoustic guitar). The choir will also collaborate with its long-time stage partners, Norwegian soloist and guitarist Marius Beck and soloist Lina Dambrauskaitė. Together, they will perform several joint works specially arranged for the Bel Canto Choir Vilnius by young Swedish composer Henrik Dahlgren.

We Are Our Own Genre

The Real Group, a modern a cappella standard, was founded in 1984 by five students from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Its founding members wanted to explore the world of vocal music, focusing on jazz, popular, and folk music. They sought to create links between different genres and experimented extensively. Eventually, the ensemble found its unique style and boldly states, "We are our own genre of music."

The group quickly gained international recognition, becoming one of the world's most prominent vocal music ensembles.

The Real Group has released 24 albums and performed almost 3,000 concerts worldwide. Their extensive repertoire has allowed them to collaborate with notable and diverse artists such as opera star Barbara Hendricks, jazz musician Toots Thielemans, and The Beatles' producer George Martin, among others. The ensemble has performed at numerous high-profile events, including celebrations for the Swedish Royal Family and the opening shows of the World Cup.

The Swedes place great emphasis on education. The Real Group Academy organizes vocal music workshops to inspire creativity and artistry in groups and choirs.

More information: www.chorasbelcanto.lt/en