Vladas Bagdonas’ Music Filled the Šiauliai Cultural Centre

On 28 September 2026, the Grand Concert Hall of the Šiauliai Cultural Centre was filled not only with songs but also with stories from life – Vladas Bagdonas, laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts and a singing actor, presented his programme of original songs “Bagdoniškos dainos”. The concert marked the beginning of a week of events in Šiauliai dedicated to the upcoming International Day of Older Persons.
Organised by the Šiauliai Cultural Centre.

The programme “Bagdoniškos dainos” featured songs written by the performer himself. V. Bagdonas intertwined them with stories and reflections on life, time and people – themes that are close to him personally. By accompanying each song with a story or personal observation, the performer created not only a musical piece on stage, but also a small theatrical performance.

V. Bagdonas’ ability to transform a song into a performance stems from more than five decades of experience on theatre and music stages. Since the 1970s, he has portrayed characters including Daukantas, Pirosmani, Othello, Faust and Zorba, and has worked with directors Dalia Tamulevičiūtė, Jonas Vaitkus and Eimuntas Nekrošius. Music has always accompanied acting throughout his creative career – from his student years to collaborations with composers Vygandas Telksnys and Alvydas Jegelevičius. Speaking about his musical performances, he has said: “I am not a musician; I am an actor performing a concert.”

In 2017, V. Bagdonas released the album of original songs “Liekantiems būti”, followed in 2020 by the collection of his best songs “Medžio degimas”. Last year, his latest album, “Bėk, Bagdonai, bėk”, was released.

On 1 October, the International Day of Older Persons and World Music Day will be celebrated, while the week of events dedicated to these occasions in Šiauliai will continue until 8 October. Seniors are invited to take part in guided tours, concerts, educational activities and other events organised by various institutions. On 1 October, seniors in the city will be able to enjoy complimentary coffee or tea at participating cafés, tearooms and restaurants in Šiauliai. The list of participating venues and the full programme of events for the International Day of Older Persons and World Music Day can be found on the websites of the Šiauliai Cultural Centre and Šiauliai City Municipality.

Photo by Rolandas Parafinavičius.

For further information, please contact Audronė Jaškinienė, Event Organiser at the Events Organisation Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, tel. +370 678 46 145, email audrone.jaskiniene@siauliukc.lt.