The 8th International Choir Festival and Competition in Honor of the Patriarch of Lithuanian Music Juozas Naujalis took place on April 11–13, 2025, in Kaunas.
The three-day event brought together choirs of various ages from across Lithuania and Latvia – from children’s and youth ensembles to experienced adult mixed choirs. The festival is dedicated to the memory of composer, organist, and choir conductor Juozas Naujalis and aims to foster the culture of choral music in today’s context. The festival program featured several prominent events.
On the morning of April 11, the Juozas Naujalis Young Conductors Competition took place at the Juozas Naujalis Music Gymnasium, where young conductors from various music and art schools showcased their skills. This competition seeks to encourage professional growth and interest in the choral conducting profession.
That same evening, the festival’s opening concert was held at the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, featuring the Kaunas State Choir conducted by Mindaugas Radzevičius. The concert program was dedicated to two prominent figures in Lithuanian music – Juozas Naujalis and Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.
On April 12, the choir competition took place at the Juozas Naujalis Music Gymnasium in Kaunas. Each ensemble presented its own artistic program, which was evaluated by a professional jury. Choirs were divided into categories based on composition and age, and the evaluation criteria included musical level, repertoire selection, performance culture, and artistic expression.
That evening, one of the festival concerts was held at the Church of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Raudondvaris, featuring guest choirs from Lithuania and Latvia. The concert offered an open, festive program for the local community.
The festival concluded on April 13 with a Holy Mass and a joint choral performance at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vytautas the Great Church) in Kaunas. Several participating choirs joined their voices in a collective sacred music performance.
