Children’s choir “VERSME”

Choral studio “Versme” established in 1987. Built up from 60 children aging from 6 to 18, the choral studio provides children with training in singing, musicianship, choreography, fundamentals of acting as well as offer facilities for piano and violin playing. According to the age and singing skills the members of the ‘Versme’ are divided into 2 choral groups. The most advanced members are transferred into the main concert choir, which presently consists from 25 – 30 childrens aged 12- 18. The synthesis of music, dance and acting which makes up the whole of the choral studio activity, apart from the traditional concerts, enables children to prepare theatralised concerts and musicals. Our key performances – national children’s opera ‘Ozka Cigone’ by Genovaite Vanagaite, and musical ‘Cat’s House’ by Pavel Valdhart were very positively appraised by professional critics. The range of music performed by the choir ‘Versme’ embraces different styles and different authors – national as well as foreign. The choir performs a lot within Lithuania as well as across its boundaries. Up to date the choir demonstrated a high level of its performance for the audience of Baltic States, Scandinavia, almost all European countries, Canada, U.S. (Massachusetts, the Martha’s Vineyard “Minnesingers”, 2002) and became laureate of diverse national as well as international contests of singing. The most important and the last chorus winnings – first place in the International Music Competition in Neerpelt (Belgium, 1994); the award for The Best Choir in the Contest of Lithuanian Schoolchildren Choirs, (Lithuania 1997); nominating the first degree diplomas in the International Children’s and Youth’s Contest ‘Dainu Versme’ in Vilnius (Lithuania, 1996, 2000 and 2003); silver medal in the 12 International Choir competition Poliphonia Preveza (Greece, 2006}; Furthermore, majority of singers of the choir ‘Versme’ took part in the most popular National TV Festival ‘Dainu Dainele’ and became laureates (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006). festival prize in the international music festival Cantonigros (Ispana, 2007), first prize for national program in the Kodaly Zoltan international children’s choir festival (Hungary, 2010); successful concerts in the 51 th International festival Musica Sacra “Virgo Lauretana” (Loreto, Italy, 2011), a very successful concerts held in the I International Young Singers festival (WIFYS), Worcester, UK 19 -27 July, 2013. Unforgettable concerts in Switzerland 2014, Successful participation in the international vocal ensemble competition in Garliava /Lithuania 2016. Singers of the studio “Versme” at 12-15 December 2018 took part in the 4th International Advent Music Festival Mundus Cantat Sopot in Poland. 20-23 February 2019 competed and become prizers of the international sacred music competition „Koložskij Blagovest“ in Grodno.  April 2019 in the International vocal music competition „Let’s Fly Song“ in Rokiskis ansemble „Versme“ became prizer.

Alina Valentinavičienė, choir’s VERSME conductor

Since 1989 has been directed by the girl’s choir “VERSME” conductor, the graduate of Lithuanian Music Academy Alina Valentinaviciene. The success of the choral studio ‘Versme’ has not to be mentioned without significant contribution of the studio director Alina Valentinaviciene. Under her initiative starting from 1994, the studio organises the International Children’s and Youth’s Choir Contests- festivals ‘Dainu Versme’ that traditionally takes place in Lithuania every second year. National Festivals of Youth’s Choirs ‘Austa Ausrele’, arranges seminars for the directors of Lithuanian choirs on the topic ‘The Significance of Psychological Comfort in the Artistic Education’ as well as as supervises a set of international projects and cultural exchange programs between Lithuanian choir “Versme” and Polish, Latvian, German, Danish, Ukrainian, U.S., Japanese and Greek youth choirs. Alina Valentinaviciene also leading for mixed chamber choir “Vilnis’.