SUHAR Korua is taking its choral programme to Lithuania and will perform for the first time in Vilnius as part of the “Open To The World ’25” festival

SUHAR Korua, conducted by Esteban Urzelai, will travel to Vilnius to take part in the “Open To The World ’25” festival, where it will give a joint concert with the ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius at the historic Church of St Catherine

On 30 November, SUHAR Korua, with the support of Etxepare Euskal Institutua, will once again showcase the power and uniqueness of Basque choral music beyond our borders. The choir will perform for the first time in Lithuania as part of the Open To The World ’25 festival, a series of concerts in Vilnius bringing together international groups with innovative and artistically high-calibre programmes, such as Rundfunkchor Berlin (Berlin Radio Choir), one of the world’s finest professional choirs and winner of three Grammy Awards, Zero8, Ringmasters and Lemon Squeezy, the most recent winner of the world barbershop competition.

The visit will culminate in a special concert at St Catherine’s Church, where SUHAR Korua will share the stage with the ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, the project’s host. The musical director, Esteban Urzelai, emphasises that “our presence in Vilnius is another step on the path we are forging: sharing Basque choral music with new audiences. Every international engagement is an opportunity to express who we are and how we understand choral singing for low voices”.

The programme that SUHAR Korua will perform in Vilnius combines different styles within the choral repertoire. The concert will feature arrangements of international folk songs, contemporary works, traditional Basque pieces and music associated with the Christmas season, as well as sacred compositions from different periods, including works by Simon & Garfunkel adapted for choir, pieces by American and European composers, and works from the Basque repertoire such as Goizeko Izarra and Sorgin Dantza, as well as Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium.

Open To The World is a project that brings together international ensembles in Vilnius with the aim of fostering artistic exchanges and introducing the Lithuanian public to a variety of choral repertoires. Each edition of the festival features joint concerts between the guest choirs and the ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, providing a platform for collaboration and the presentation of diverse programmes.