History
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- Published on Thursday, 01 December 2011 06:28
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Šiauliai State Chamber Choir “Polifonija”
The State Chamber Choir “Polifonija” is one of the best known Lithuanian professional choirs.
The ensemble was established on the 31st of December 1974. Then it was the first concert of the Ensemble of Ancient Music which later on has turned into a beautiful tradition – the annually organised New Year’s concerts. A gifted conductor and a great enthusiast Sigitas Vaičiulionis established the Vocal Ensemble of Ancient Music, the only one in Lithuania at that time performing pieces by composers of the Renaissance and Baroque epochs. At the beginning, the ensemble was fostered by Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute, and later – by Šiauliai Music High School. In 1979, the collective was awarded the title of a national collective and the choir was named “Polifonija”. In 1986, “Polifonija” was awarded the status of professionals and the ensemble became Šiauliai State Chamber Mixed Choir of Lithuanian State Philharmonic. In 1998, “Polifonija” had become the Šiauliai State Chamber Choir. In 2004, the collective celebrated its 30th anniversary. When long-term leaders of the choir Danutė and Sigitas Vaičiulioniai left it, Gediminas Ramanauskas was the leader of “Polifonija” for a period of 2006 - 2010. Since the 31st of January 2011, Tomas Ambrozaitis executes the duties of the choir’s leader.
The choir’s repertoire is especially wide: from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary music, from choral miniatures to big-volume pieces. During the period of more than thirty years of choir’s existence, some 2,000 concerts were held, tours in Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Italy, Argentina, Brazil were arranged. Laureate awards were won at international contests in Poland (1989), Brazil (1990), Italy (1992, 1998, 1999). A part was taken in numerous international festivals, a number of lectures-concerts entitled “Lithuanian Choral Music” were worked out and performed at international seminars in Latvia, Italy, Brazil. In many foreign press articles, activities of “Polifonija” are attributed to the brightest examples of collectives of European art.
The choir delivered concerts jointly with Lithuanian State Symphonic Orchestra, St Christopher Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra as well as with famous orchestras from Sweden, Italy, Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia.
In 1978, on initiative of Sigitas Vaičiulionis and his wife Danutė Vaičiulionienė festivals of classical music were started to organise in Šiauliai. Later (in 1989) they transformed into annual International Sacred Music Festivals organised in Šiauliai Cathedral during the Easter week. In 2007, the event was renamed into Šiauliai International Easter Music Festival “Resurrexit”.
