Folk ensemble "Arinushka"

For the 18th time, the international folklore festival "Pokrov Bells" will delight its visitors with
exceptional concerts, programmes and performances. The events will take place on 8th-12th November at
St Catherine's Church, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, Vilnius University, Vilnius Town Hall, etc.

On November 8th, the Festival will kick off with a spectacular opening concert, Folklore and the
Present, at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. The world premiere of Mindaugas Stumbras' World
Music project SPELL, based on Ukrainian traditional music, will take place in the LNF Great Hall. The
concert will bring together performers from Lithuania, Ukraine and Sakartvelo: the folk ensemble Sviato,
the K. Vardeli String Quartet, and many other musicians, including the trombone-playing composer Jievaras
Jasinskis, pianist Julija Lankė, and the author of the piece Mindaugas Stumbras, who has mastered the
classical guitar and the Arabian Oud himself. The Ukrainian folklore ensemble Sviato will lead the audience
along the unique, discovery-filled paths of their nation's traditional music. The concert will be conducted by
Levan Jagaev, a young, but well-known conductor in his country, Sakartve, and in Europe.
In the second part of the concert, the Living Tradition will present Lithuanian and foreign
traditional music groups. The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy performances by folklore
ensembles from Armenia, Spain, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Norway, Sakartvelo, Ukraine and unique
examples of traditional choreography. The ensembles' programmes will be performed a cappella or
accompanied by archaic folk instruments.

On November 9th, a scientific conference will be held on the theme "Personality in folklore:
collector, performer, master and researcher". The conference will also focus on the living heritage of Vilnius
- the traditional culture of Lithuania's national communities.
An unforgettable evening of Kartvelian polyphonic masterpieces performed at the Theatre Hall of
Vilnius University by the Vilnius beloved ensemble Bedinera from the Megrelia region promises to be an
unforgettable experience. This genre of music is included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Unique traditions will invite you to a concert of Lithuanian and foreign folklore ensembles, and the
Folk Dance Evening will be full of traditional dances, singing and meetings.

On November 10th premises of the Lithuanian Minority Folklore and Ethnography Centre will be
transformed into a Traditional Singing Laboratory. In the evening, the audience will be treated to Music
for Gourmets with performances by foreign and Lithuanian folklore groups - a concert by the Ukrainian
folklore ensemble "Drevo" from Kiev and other guests will take place at St Catherine's Church.

On November 11th, the festival will move to Vilnius Town Hall. There, there will be a fair of folk
art and culinary heritage, as well as creative workshops on traditional crafts for children and adults. A
marathon concert will present artistic portraits of the Festival participants, and the day will be crowned
by the sound of Ukrainian Cossack songs and Lithuanian sutartinės. These are some more unique
examples of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage included in the Festival programme.

November 12th Vilnius will be 700 years old. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Vilnius,
festival participants from foreign countries will take part in guided tours of Vilnius. Participants will visit
historical sites, churches, museums and galleries.

The “Pokrov Bells” Festival is looking forward to welcoming both its loyal and first-time audiences.
The organisers would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Festival's partners: the Ministry of
Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Department of National
Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuanian
National Radio and Television, UAB European Production Hub, UAB Amirtekas.

Tickets for concerts at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic and St Catherine's Church are
distributed by KAKAVA.LT

Information from the organisers