Female Choir "Liepos" of Vilnius Cultural Centre

The women's choir “Liepos” of the Vilnius Culture Centre grew up from the girls’ choir studio “Liepaites,” which now is celebrating its 48^th year. Liepos has been performing since 1989. Their repertoire includes choral music of many different epochs and styles. They are known for their novel concert programs and they have performed many concerts both home and abroad. They have toured in Estonia, Latvia, Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Poland, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Spain, France, and Slovakia. The choir has released three CDs; they include Lithuanian folk and artistic compositions as well as choral pieces of foreign composers. Liepos have successfully participated in many local and international choir festivals and contests where they won numerous prizes. The most recent are Gold and Silver Diplomas at XXIV Competition by Fr. Schubert (2007, Wien, Austria), Gold and Silver Diplomas at Competition of Sacred Music “Silver Bells” (2009, Daugavpils, Latvia), and two Silver Diplomas at “Musica Sacra Bratislava” (2010, Slovakia).

The Artistic Director and Conductor Audrone Steponaviciute Zupkauskiene received her training for  conducting and teaching choir disciplines at the State Academy of Music and Theatre. She works as a teacher in the choir singing school Liepaites. Audrone Steponaviciute Zupkauskiene takes active part in Lithuania‘s musical life – she runs seminars and gives open lessons to local and foreign teachers. She has participated in several festivals and contests as a conductor, organizer, and juror.

“Liepos” come from Vilnius – the capital city of Lithuania, a beautiful country on the Baltic Sea. Vilnius is a cosmopolitan city with diverse architecture. Owing to its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vilnius was selected as 2009 European Capital of Culture. Lying close to Vilnius is – according to the Guinness Book of World Records - the geographical centre of Europe.