Šiauliai Cultural Center Choir “Atžalynas” Invites Audiences to a Celebratory Concert After Receiving Its Second “Golden Bird” Award

On June 6, 2026, at 4 p.m., the Šiauliai Cultural Center will host the ceremonial presentation of Lithuania’s highest amateur arts award, the Golden Bird, to the Šiauliai Cultural Center Chamber Choir Atžalynas and its Artistic Director Mindaugas Žalalis. The festive afternoon will culminate in the concert “Sun and Clouds”, offering audiences a sensitive and richly diverse musical programme. The event is expected to become not only a celebration of this significant achievement but also an expression of gratitude to everyone who has been part of the choir’s creative journey for more than three decades.

Organizer – Šiauliai Cultural Center. Admission is free.

The Golden Bird is the highest amateur arts award in Lithuania. Established in 1999 on the initiative of the Lithuanian Folk Culture Centre and the Lithuanian World Song Festival Foundation, the award honors the country’s most outstanding amateur arts ensembles, their leaders, and individuals who have made exceptional contributions to culture. The Golden Bird symbolizes not only artistic excellence but also the continuity of cultural traditions, community spirit, and the importance of creativity in society.

For the Chamber Choir Atžalynas, this is already the second such recognition. The ensemble first received the Golden Bird award in 2010. This year’s distinction reflects the choir’s continuous growth, artistic maturity, and significant contribution to the development of Lithuania’s choral culture. To mark the occasion, a formal award ceremony and the celebratory concert “Sun and Clouds” will be held.

“Over many years, the Chamber Choir Atžalynas has consistently nurtured the traditions of choral music, brought people together through a sense of community, and promoted the name of Šiauliai both in Lithuania and abroad. We are delighted and proud that the dedication and artistic maturity of this ensemble have been recognized with the highest amateur arts award in Lithuania,” says Deimantė Bačiulė, Director of the Šiauliai Cultural Center.

Artistic Director Mindaugas Žalalis notes that the choir’s greatest strength lies not only in music but also in human connection: “For us, this award represents not only recognition but also confirmation that years of collective work and a sincere relationship with both music and people are meaningful. The choir’s greatest strength is the sense of togetherness that unites very different people through music,” says Mindaugas Žalalis.

The title of the concert was chosen deliberately. It is borrowed from a composition by Šiauliai-based composer Gediminas Dapkevičius, symbolically linking the City of the Sun, the light of creativity, and the enduring traditions of choral music. “Sun and Clouds” will become a musical narrative about community, growth, sensitivity, and the light that has accompanied the ensemble for more than thirty years.

The festive programme will feature the Šiauliai Cultural Center Chamber Choir Atžalynas, founded in 1992 on the initiative of conductor and choir leader Marija Žibūdienė. From 2006 to 2016, the choir was led by Jurgita Juozūnienė, while since 2016 its artistic direction has been entrusted to conductor, educator, and musician Mindaugas Žalalis. During the past decade, Atžalynas has become one of Lithuania’s most active amateur arts ensembles, annually presenting new programmes, implementing musical projects, and collaborating with other choirs and renowned performers.

The choir’s repertoire includes arrangements of Lithuanian folk songs, works by Lithuanian and international composers, and sacred music. Accordingly, audiences attending “Sun and Clouds” will hear choral music from different periods—from sensitive sacred compositions to contemporary musical interpretations that reveal the ensemble’s artistic versatility. Joining the choir on stage will be an instrumental group consisting of Rimvydas Mitkus (keyboards), Simas Aleknavičius (bass guitar), and Ilja Kanapelka (percussion), as well as other performers who will enrich the programme with their own creative contributions.

The organizers hope that this ceremonial evening will become not only a celebration of a remarkable achievement but also a heartfelt tribute to all those whose voices, dedication, and efforts continue to sustain the living tradition of choral music in Šiauliai.

For more information, please contact Aušra Brijūnienė, Head of the Amateur Arts Department at the Šiauliai Cultural Center, mobile: +370 655 25 527, email: ausra.brijuniene@siauliukc.lt.

Photos by Rolandas Parafinavičius, Liubov Yarmoshenko, and from the archive.