Every year Vilnius University Choir Pro Musica prepares new concert programs and deepens its knowledge of various musical styles. Since its foundation, the choir has presented Renaissance, Baroque, Spanish and American musical programs as well as music of Northern European and Lithuanian modern composers to its audience. The internationally acclaimed choir continually performs in Lithuania and abroad; it has given concerts in Spain, Italy, Russia, the Ukraine, Cuba, Mexico, Georgia, Belgium, Germany, Norway and the USA.
Founded in April 2004, the choir boasts a repertoire of vivacious pieces from different epochs as well as large works, e. g. W. A. Mozart’s Requiem (performed by the choir in the USA in 2008), P. Tchaikovsky’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and one of the most grandiose classical pieces – G. Verdi’s Requiem, which was performed by Pro Musica in Germany and Denmark together with local singers during 2011.
One will also find in the repertoire of the choir such rarely performed works as Missa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez, which was presented to the Lithuanian audience for the first time in 2006, and A Mass for Peace by K. Jenkins, performed in 2009.
Rasa Gelgotiene – Artistic Director and the main conductor
Rasa Gelgotiene graduated the art gymnasium of M. K. Ciurlionis and Music Academy of Lithuania (LMA) and then did an internship at the conducting class of Prof. A.Michailov in the Conservatoire of St. Petersburg. Still being a student, she started working as a concert master at LMA and as a choir master at Children’s Choir of Radio and TV of Lithuania. In 1982 Rasa Gelgotiene started to work with the women’s choir of the University of Vilnius “Virgo” and in 1995 she was asked to take the lead for the Academic Choir of the University of Vilnius. After establishment of the choir “Pro Musica” in 2004, Rasa Gelgotiene has been leading three choirs of the University of Vilnius, where nearly 200 people sing – students and graduates.
Leading three choirs, Rasa Gelgotiene achieved great developments while winning prize places in more than 30 international and national competitions and participating in over 50 international festivals. Listeners from twenty-five European countries as well as in USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, Japan and other nations have listened to choirs conducted by her.
Rasa Gelgotiene has recorded 10 albums and created arrangements for over 30 music pieces. She is a presiding member of the Union of Lithuanian Choirs, member of creative groups for Song Festivals, conductor of World Lithuanian Song Festivals and Baltic Students Song and Dance Festivals Gaudeamus and is an expert-consultant of choirs in Alytus district. Rasa Gelgotiene shares her long experience giving lectures of choir mastership at the Music Academy of Lithuania.