From 2021, Vilnius University Culture Centre invites you to join the musical project "VU Jazz Voices". The collective aims to bring together talented jazz and swing music-loving university people who want to develop their vocal abilities and create a special, spectacular music programs.
Many universities and colleges around the world encourage young people to choose as many genres of music as possible. According to Gintė Jokubaitienė, head of the VU Culture Centre, the idea to offer students a musical project in which they could learn the peculiarities of jazz singing arose after the "Talent Evening" organized by the VU Community Department. "I saw how many really musical, talented people we have at the university. I felt that the possibilities of some voices, timbres of sound would be revealed much better in a jazz singing style. Although most students attend choirs and have their own groups, I think we still have a lot of room for the expansion of musical culture at the university", says G. Jokubaitienė..
Jazz vocal and improvisation teacher, performer Martynas Vilpišauskas was invited to lead the musical project.
Martynas completed his undergraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Academy in London, and obtained a Master's degree in composition at the University of Hertfordshire, England. In the United Kingdom, he directed several different choirs, sang in the a cappella music ensemble VIVE, which won the prestigious Ward Swingle Award, and appeared on BBC television. After returning to Lithuania, he worked for several years at the A. Novikas Jazz School and Vilnius College. Martynas has his own vocal group "SingPhonics" and participates in various electronic music projects.
"Jazz choir is a combination of two of my favorite things. Jazz is the freedom to create, improvise and interpret, while choir is a genre of precise, unified vocal singing. Although I myself have been singing and playing since childhood, I keep discovering something new every day. There are no boundaries in music, and when making music I think it's best to just be in the moment", says M. Vilpišauskas.
Rehearsal time:
On Tuesdays, the conference hall of the Business School (Saulėtekio al. 22) from 7 p.m.
Sundays at the Culture Centre (Čiurlionio St. 21) in the Choir Studio from 4:30 p.m.
Do you have questions about VU Jazz Voices? Write an e-mail: