Concerts

Monica Törnqvist

Monica Törnqvist is one of the first guests of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festival and since then is supporting this event and appears in it as a performer and a conductor. She is an educated music teacher, choir conductor, vocal coach and singer. Now Monica has a full-time job as a music teacher but at the same time she also conducts the gospel choir in Sollentuna, continues to sing in Sweden and in other countries, organizes and teaches in various workshops and master classes on the gospel music and works as a vocal coach. She has performed with famous singers such as Jay T. Hairston (USA), Swedish gospel star Samuel Ljungblach, performer and author of Eurovision songs Lasse Holm and others. As Monica states, she loves to sing gospel music because by singing it, there is so much passion, love and sorrow that you can express.

Malcolm Chambers

Malcolm Chambers is a professional singer and pianist from Sweden. He has a huge experience of performing the gospel music and is invited to participate in various international gospel and jazz music festivals in Sweden and abroad as a singer or as a conductor. Malcolm is the art program manager of the famous Swedish national television show A Song of Joy. During his ongoing career as a gospel music performer he performed for an audience of 12000 people, conducted a choir comprised of 5000 singers and sang together with such gospel music stars as Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker and others.

Marija Monika Dičiūnė

Marija Monika Dičiūnė is a well-known singer, vocal coach and conductor. She performs soul, RnB, pop, jazz and gospel music and is a vocal coach in the Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory. She also teaches jazz choir singing in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, sings as a lead vocal or as a back singer in various music projects. Marija Monika is a part of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festivals since 2008. She participates in every festival as one of the lead singers and conductors.

Mindaugas Balčiūnas

Mindaugas Balčiūnas is a 31-year-old piano player who performs with many well-known pop, rock, hip-hop stars and bands: G&G Sindikatas, Sel, Balú, Linas Adomaitis, Šorena, Lilas ir Innomine, Saulius Petreikis World Orchestra and others. He performs not only in Lithuania but also abroad – in USA, Norway, UK, Ireland, Iceland, Russia, etc. Together with the band Žalvarinis he has participated in Henley festival in UK. Mindaugas has also participated in various music projects in television and at the moment together with a new band Balú is preparing for the tour to promote their first album.

Tomas Dičiūnas

Tomas Dičiūnas performs various music genres but mostly he is seen in the jazz scene. He performs a lot together with jazz professionals both in Lithuania and abroad. Even though Tomas started as classical music performer, later on he turned to rock music and eventually he went on to jazz. While looking for a synthesis of different genres of music he often uses synthesizers and other electronic music instruments. Tomas Dičiūnas has also started leading the big band of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre on 2015.

Jonas Gliaudelis

Jonas Gliaudelis is a 22-year-old drummer performing with such stars as Domas Aleksa Group, Monika Liu, Keymono, Justé, Giedrius Nakas, Reinless, Linas Rimša, Erica Jennings, Linas Adomaitis, Giedrė and many others. He learned to play in Prins Claus Conservatory, Netherlands, from teachers Gene Jackson, Adam Nussbaum, Steve Altenberg, Matt Wilson, Don Braden, Wycliffe Gordon. His first teachers and inspirers in Lithuania were Marijus Aleksa and Darius Rudis. Jonas performs in the scenes of jazz, soul, hip-hop and pop and has won prizes in various competitions both in Lithuania and abroad. In 2017 he has released his debut EP Cabin in the Woods as a composer and a producer.

 Ernest Germanovič

Ernest Germanovič is one of the perspective young bass guitar players. In 2016 he has won a 2^nd place in an international jazz performers competition in Russia as a solo artist. Ernest appears on stage together with well-known Lithuanian artists and performs together with jazz talents, various electronic and pop groups. Each year he plays in the charity event UNITED Voices. As a free-lance musician he works in recording studios and plays in various music projects and has participated in many festivals in Lithuania and abroad.

Gerald T. Smith

Gerald T. Smith is one of the most gifted musicians, songwriters, teachers and disciplined directors in the USA. He has established a national and international reputation as a successful musician, composer, vocalist, pianist, and workshop clinician.  Gerald T. Smith has performed with such artists as Stephanie Mills, Dorian Harewood, Reginald Vel Johnson, George Faison, Shirley Caesar, Evangelist Dorothy Norwood, Minister Byron Cage, Lady Tramaine Hawkins, Lamar Campbell, Richard Smallwood, the late Rev. James Cleveland, and a host of other reputable artists. It is his first visit in Lithuania and he is eager to meet the participants and the audience of the festival.

Kristina Žaldokaitė

Kristina Žaldokaitė graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre as a jazz singer. She has lead the gospel choir Sounds in G, worked as a back singer to many famous Lithuanian musicians and built up her experience in various jazz festivals, competitions, TV projects and while performing both in Lithuania and abroad. At the moment she is leading the St. John’s Church Gospel Choir, the gospel team HARK!, participates in various music projects and bands. Kristina is actively performing as a gospel artist – she performs and conducts choirs in local and foreign gospel music festivals and workshops in Sweden, Germany and Poland and is the Art Program Manager of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festival where she also sings and conducts.

Arvydas Buinauskas

Arvydas Buinauskas is a light artist creating masterpieces for the first-rate events in Lithuania. In this concert he is going to create paintings of lights reflecting the gospel songs you are going to hear.

Gerald T. Smith

Gerald T. Smith is one of the most gifted musicians, songwriters, teachers and disciplined directors in the USA. He has established a national and international reputation as a successful musician, composer, vocalist, pianist, and workshop clinician.  Gerald T. Smith has performed with such artists as Stephanie Mills, Dorian Harewood, Reginald Vel Johnson, George Faison, Shirley Caesar, Evangelist Dorothy Norwood, Minister Byron Cage, Lady Tramaine Hawkins, Lamar Campbell, Richard Smallwood, the late Rev. James Cleveland, and a host of other reputable artists. It is his first visit in Lithuania and he is eager to meet the participants and the audience of the festival.

Malcolm Chambers

Malcolm Chambers is a professional singer and a pianist from Sweden. He has a huge experience of performing the gospel music and is invited to participate in various international gospel and jazz music festivals in Sweden and abroad as a singer or as a conductor. Malcolm is the art program manager of the famous Swedish national television show A Song of Joy. During his ongoing career as a gospel music performer he performed for an audience of 12000 people, conducted a choir comprised of 5000 singers and sang together with such gospel music stars as Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Hezekiah Walker and others.

Monica Törnqvist

Monica Törnqvist is one of the first guests of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festival and since then is supporting this event and appears in it as a performer and a conductor. She is an educated music teacher, choir conductor, vocal coach and singer. Now Monica has a full-time job as a music teacher but at the same time she also conducts the gospel choir in Sollentuna, continues to sing in Sweden and in other countries, organizes and teaches in various workshops and master classes on the gospel music and works as a vocal coach. She has performed with famous singers such as Jay T. Hairston (USA), Swedish gospel star Samuel Ljungblach, performer and author of Eurovision songs Lasse Holm and others. As Monica states, she loves to sing gospel music because by singing it, there is so much passion, love and sorrow that you can express.

Girmantė Vaitkutė

The professional career of Girmantė Vaitkutė has started from Vilnius Gospel Music Festival in 2005 which opened the doors for her to start singing as a back vocal. In the beginning she worked as a back vocal with a lot of well-known Lithuanian artists. Using this experience, later on she has started to make her own career as a solo artist. Now she sings her own compositions and jazz music. However, as she states, the gospel music will always have a special place in her heart.

Monika Linkytė

Monika Linkytė is one of the most popular young artists in Lithuania. Her first appearance on the stage was more than 20 years ago and she has grown up surrounded by music. She has learned singing professionally since childhood and has created her own compositions. Her debut album Walk with Me was complimented by musical authorities. Monika has received many awards including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year or Song of the Year. She is appreciated by the audience for her originality, sincerity and music and has represented Lithuania in Eurovision song contest. At the moment Monika is recording her second album, performing and living in Vilnius and in London where she now studies at BIMM University.

Joint Gospel Choir

All the registered participants of Vilnius Gospel Music Festival from all over Lithuania (Gargždai, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Vilnius and other cities) are brought together in a Joint Gospel Choir. During the concert this Choir, together with guest stars, will perform the gospel songs that were prepared during the rehearsals and workshops of the festival.

Marija Monika Dičiūnė

Marija Monika Dičiūnė is a well-known singer, vocal coach and conductor. She performs soul, RnB, pop, jazz and gospel music and is a vocal coach in the Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory. She also teaches jazz choir singing in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, sings as a lead vocal or as a back singer in various music projects. Marija Monika is a part of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festivals since 2008. She participates in every festival as one of the lead singers and conductors.

Kristina Žaldokaitė

Kristina Žaldokaitė graduated from Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre as a jazz singer. She has lead the gospel choir Sounds in G, worked as a back singer to many famous Lithuanian musicians and built up her experience in various jazz festivals, competitions, TV projects and while performing both in Lithuania and abroad. At the moment she is leading the St. John’s Church Gospel Choir, the gospel team HARK!, participates in various music projects and bands. Kristina is actively performing as a gospel artist – she performs and conducts choirs in local and foreign gospel music festivals and workshops in Sweden, Germany and Poland and is the Art Program Manager of the Vilnius Gospel Music Festival where she also sings and conducts.

Simona Jundulė

Simona Jundulė has graduated from Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory as a pop music singer and afterwards has finished Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre as a jazz vocalist. At the moment she studies in a joint program of Vilnius University and Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre aiming to achieve master degree in music therapy. Simona Jundulė has lead a gospel choir Joy and now she is a part of St. John’s Church Gospel choir both as a singer and as a conductor.

Mindaugas Balčiūnas

Mindaugas Balčiūnas is a 31-year-old piano player who performs with many well-known pop, rock, hip-hop stars and bands: G&G Sindikatas, Sel, Balú, Linas Adomaitis, Šorena, Lilas ir Innomine, Saulius Petreikis World Orchestra and others. He performs not only in Lithuania but also abroad – in USA, Norway, UK, Ireland, Iceland, Russia, etc. Together with the band Žalvarinis he has participated in Henley festival in UK. Mindaugas has also participated in various music projects in television and at the moment together with a new band Balú is preparing for the tour to promote their first album.

Tomas Dičiūnas

Tomas Dičiūnas performs various music genres but mostly he is seen in the jazz scene. He performs a lot together with jazz professionals both in Lithuania and abroad. Even though Tomas started as classical music performer, later on he turned to rock music and eventually he went on to jazz. While looking for a synthesis of different genres of music he uses synthesizers and other electronic music instruments. Tomas Dičiūnas has also started leading the big band of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre on 2015.

Jonas Gliaudelis

Jonas Gliaudelis is 22-year-old drummer performing with such stars as Domas Aleksa Group, Monika Liu, Keymono, Justé, Giedrius Nakas, Reinless, Linas Rimša, Erica Jennings, Linas Adomaitis, Giedrė and many others. He learned to play in Prins Claus Conservatory, Netherlands, from teachers Gene Jackson, Adam Nussbaum, Steve Altenberg, Matt Wilson, Don Braden, Wycliffe Gordon. His first teachers and inspirers in Lithuania were Marijus Aleksa and Darius Rudis. Jonas performs in the scenes of jazz, soul, hip-hop and pop and has won prizes in various competitions both in Lithuania and abroad. In 2017 he has released his debut EP Cabin in the Woods as a composer and a producer.

 Ernest Germanovič

Ernest Germanovič is one of the perspective young bass guitar players. In 2016 he has won a 2^nd place in an international jazz performers competition in Russia as a solo artist. Ernest appears on stage together with well-known Lithuanian artists and performs together with jazz talents, various electronic and pop groups. Each year he plays in the charity event UNITED Voices. As a free-lance musician he works in recording studios and plays in various music projects and has participated in many festivals in Lithuania and abroad.