Papers by Danute Petrauskaite
Kultūros barai, 2024
In 1924, the first Song Festival was organised in independent
Lithuania. This epochal event brou... more In 1924, the first Song Festival was organised in independent
Lithuania. This epochal event brought together the scattered choirs
and choirmasters, raised the idea of national unity, and enriched the
choirs’ repertoire with new songs, laid the foundations for the establishment of a Lithuanian choir school, and the formation of a national tradition of Song Festivals. This article analyzes the birth of the song festival tradition in Lithuania, discusses its preparation process, repertoire, organizers, and choir conductors, as well as reviews in the periodical press.
Darbai ir dienos , 2025
In 1944, thousands of people fled Lithuania to escape the advancing Red Army, including many arti... more In 1944, thousands of people fled Lithuania to escape the advancing Red Army, including many artists from the Kaunas State Opera. Founded in 1920, this Opera House played an important role during the interwar period. Most of the musicians found temporary refuge in Germany. In 1948, to mark Lithuania’s 30th anniversary of independence, the Lithuanian Union and the Baltic Council in the UK, with support from the Arts Council of Great Britain, invited four singers and an accompanist from Germany: Izabelė Motekaitienė, Alė Kalvaitytė, Stasys Baranauskas, Ipolitas Nauragis, and Vladas Jakubėnas. They were contracted
to participate in the jubilee event and to visit Lithuanian communities in England, Scotland, and Wales. The concert programs featured Lithuanian songs and excerpts from classical operas. Some of the concerts were also open to English audiences. The soloists presented themselves as
artists from the Kaunas State Theatre, emphasizing the continuity of independent Lithuania’s traditions in exile. Twenty-two concerts were held over two months. The audience praised the performers, but the British press was reserved in its coverage. The Lithuanian Union invited the
same performers to tour Great Britain again in 1949 to mobilize their compatriots and achieve political goals (this time Antanina Dambrauskaitė replaced Izabelė Motekaitienė). Twenty-nine concerts took place, half of which were organized at the initiative of the Arts Council of Great Britain. This time, the British press paid more attention to the artists, and tickets sold out quickly. Lithuanian soloists in the UK sought work in their profession but faced challenges due to time constraints, financial limitations, and a lack of concrete offers. However, they effectively
served as “singing ambassadors,” representing Lithuania as a cultured nation and advocating against the illegal incorporation of Lithuania into the USSR.
Darbai ir dienos, 2024
More than 70 years have passed since the death of the philosopher, writer, and
Honorary Doctor o... more More than 70 years have passed since the death of the philosopher, writer, and
Honorary Doctor of VMU Vydūnas (1868–1953). Several scientific articles have been published on his works, his books have been reprinted, and conferences are regularly held to analyze the philosopher’s thoughts, which remain relevant today. Therefore, it is difficult to expect to find new sources, such as unpublished letters or memoirs, when everything seems to have been collected and systematized. However, sometimes it is possible to find important documents relating to Vydūnas in one archive or another. This article discusses the relationship of the composer and musicologist Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) with the legendary thinker of Lithuania Minor. It presents the unknown memoirs of this musician, which provide an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into Vydūnas’ musical activities.
Oikos, 2023
. Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) was an organist, chorus master, composer, musicologist, teacher, ... more . Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) was an organist, chorus master, composer, musicologist, teacher, and community activist who contributed immensely to Lithuanian musical culture. In 1929, he emigrated to the United States and was remembered less and less before becoming entirely forgotten
67 during the Soviet occupation. Even now, few people are cognizant of Žilevičius’s achievements since there are no capital works at all analyzing and summarizing his truly multifaceted activities. As the author of the first Lithuanian symphony and of instrumental chamber works, he laid the foundations for what became the concert life of independent Lithuania as well as for the tradition of organizing mass
song festivals. He also published periodicals reviewing Lithuanian music; stimulated the development of ethnomusicology; and prepared courses in music education for general education schools. Having amassed solid work experience in various fields of culture and education, he endeavored to apply this experience to practical work in emigration. His most important task was to foster national ethnic
identity. This paper aims to analyze Žilevičius’s views and his accomplishments in the United States, as he associated music training with preserving Lithuanian identity.
Keywords: music, folk song, kanklės, school, jazz, Lithuanian identity, ethnic education.
Ars et praxis, 2024
In the second half of the 19th century and in the first years
of the 20th century, in Lithuania, ... more In the second half of the 19th century and in the first years
of the 20th century, in Lithuania, which was part of the Russian Empire, Lithuanian choral music concerts were banned along with
the printing of Latin letters. Only in Lithuania Minor, on German
territory, did Lithuanians have the opportunity to form societies
and organise public events. Vydūnas was the most active in this field,
organising concerts in Tilžė and on Rambynas Hill. Some writers of informative articles have therefore referred to these concerts,
which also began to take place in Lithuania after the abolition of
the press ban, as the first Song Festivals. Such claims were rightly
refuted by choral music researchers – Anicetas Arminas, Vytautas
Jakelaitis, Regimantas Gudelis – who acknowledged that these were
only the beginnings of choral music and that the main features of
the Song Festival are the mass participation of joint choirs, a preprepared programme and a Lithuanian repertoire.
In 1924, the first Song Festival was organised in independent
Lithuania. This epochal event brought together the scattered choirs
and choirmasters, raised the idea of national unity, enriched the
choirs’ repertoire with new songs, laid the foundations for the establishment of a Lithuanian choir school and the formation of a national tradition of Song Festivals. More than a hundred years have
passed since that celebration. In that time, a great deal of literature
has appeared, ranging from informative reports in the periodical
press to scientific books. The purpose of this article is to review and
add to this literature. The paper uses the results of research on archival sources and historiography, as well as methods of comparative
analysis and statistics.
The first Song Festival in Lithuania and its ethnic lands took place
on 23 and 25 August 1924. It could not take place on 24 August
due to bad weather conditions – rain. This date should not be announced with a hyphen between the days, but with a comma or the conjunction ‘and’. The choral gatherings that took place before
then, including those in Lithuania Minor, should be regarded as the
beginnings or origins of the Song Festivals.
The programme of the Song Festival was not the same as the one
announced by the organisers: Sasnauskas’ song ‘Kur bėga Šešupė’
[Where the Šešupė River runs] was dropped; Čiurlionis’ ‘Šėriau
žirgelį’ [I fed a Horse] was played once, but not twice. Based on
Žilevičius’ remarks, the programme of the first day’s celebration was
enriched with Šimkus’ song ‘We are Lithuanians’, performed by the
joint choir of Panevėžys. Thus, 35 songs by 15 different Lithuanian
composers (excluding the Lithuanian national anthem) were performed. Adding the 9 repeated numbers, a total of 44 choral works
were performed.
Seventy-six choirs sent the organisers of the Song Festival accurate
data on their singers. The sum of their members amounts to 3,060
participants, i.e., about 3,000 choir members, as announced in many
information reports. If we add a choir from Klaipėda, which did not
appear on the lists because it did not participate in the united choir,
we can say that there were 77 choirs at the festival.
When claiming one or another number of spectators at the Song
Festival, it should be stated which data is used. It is advisable to
use the number of tickets sold for the two-day concerts, around
20,000. If the figure of 50–60,000 spectators is mentioned, a note
should be added to the effect that this number of people could have
been catered for, but due to the weather and other factors, this did
not end up being the case.
Ars et praxis, 2020
Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) was an organist, choirmaster, composer, pedagogue, researcher, and ... more Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) was an organist, choirmaster, composer, pedagogue, researcher, and nurturer of Lithuanian music history. In the first years of Lithuania’s independence,
he was active in all fields of music, laying the foundation of the
national culture. One of those fields was the establishment of
the Lithuanian Opera House in Kaunas. Not only did Žilevičius
watch the preparation of the first performances, but he also contributed to their production. He was a reviewer and an author of
numerous articles on the subject of opera. Therefore, the aim of
the paper is twofold: a) to evaluate Žilevičius’ contribution to the
foundation of the Opera House in Lithuania; and b) to reveal
the beginning of the development of the Opera House, based on
Žilevičius’ articles, memoirs, and archival sources. The following
facts were revealed:
1. The production of performances took place under particularly
difficult conditions: the premises of the City Theatre were neglected, and there was a lack of sheet notes, costumes, decorations,
and even performers. Žilevičius described this period as one of
the most difficult in his life, yet over the years he forgot the experienced hardships – only the bright picture of the Kaunas Opera
remained in his memory.
2. While working as the head of the Art Department at the Ministry of Education, Žilevičius contributed to the development of the
Statute and Regulations of the Opera House and played an active
role in sending musicians abroad, raising their salaries, dismissing
them from military service, and taking care of their well-being.
His publications on the theme of the Opera House were valuable
in several respects: they a) revealed the conditions of the period
during which the theatre was established and complemented the
history of the Lithuanian theatre art; and b) testified to the situation of music criticism in interwar Lithuania, the fields of critics’
interests, and their relationships with theatre people.
3. In America, Žilevičius was among the greatest proponents of
opera art. He published articles introducing the former stars of
the Kaunas Opera House who arrived in the United States, always remembered to commemorate Kaunas Opera anniversaries,
shared his memories with readers, and raised the idea to establish
a Lithuanian Opera House in America
The Lithuanian treasure form Chicago: the Dr. Kazys Pemkus Colletion at Klaipeda University Library
Fontes Artis Musicae, 2009
Lithuanian physicians have been the backbone of medical healing but function also as keepers of a... more Lithuanian physicians have been the backbone of medical healing but function also as keepers of a nation's soul. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth-century and through the start of the twentieth century (when tsarist Russia banned the Lithuanian press), doctors were the advance-guard of the nation and made up the core of the intellectual community in Lithuania. At that time, medical doctors such as Jonas Basanavicius, Vincas Kudirka, Vincas Pietaris, Jonas Sliupas, and Kazys Grinius nurtured Lithuanian culture and nourished the ideas of a free independent state. Their noble mission continued also after 1918, when Lithuania became an independent republic. Even though in free Lithuania it was not necessary to battle for the nation's interests, still, there was much to be done in the field of the formation of the national mentality. Much work was done by Lithuanian medical doctors through the corporation Fraternitas Lituanica (its anthem was composed by composer Stasys imkus). The organization declared that "the aim of the corporation was to unite Lithuanian medical people professionally and spiritually to advance the medical science, and to support Lithuanian culture." (2) Another supporter of Lithuanian culture was the medical corporation Gaja ("Vitality"), with the slogan of: "Vital body--vigilant soul." (3) During the period of Soviet occupation, the public activity of medical doctors was suppressed to a great extent. However, in the West, where thousands of refugees found shelter after WWII, medical doctors again had a chance to work for national unity and interest, nurturing the hope to regain independence of the Lithuanian state. One of them was Kazys Pemkus (1920-1996). History and Development of the Pemkus Collection Kazys Pemkus was born on 24 June 1920, in the village of Rukai, in the district of Mosedis. His interest in literature began during his school years. He graduated from Skuodas High School in 1940, where he was known as an active member of The Federation of Future. He was well-read, had begun to write novellas in high school and published small items in the local press. He started studying medicine at Kaunas University, but in 1944, as the Red Army approached, he had to cancel his studies and immigrated to Germany. Despite all the hardships of a displaced person's life, Pemkus continued studying medicine at the universities of Tubingen and Heidelberg, where he also attended several courses of psychology and sociology. In 1946-1948, he was a leader of the students' group Gaja. He was awarded his medical degree in 1950 and between 1952 and 1956, worked as a medical doctor in Lithuanian work units for the US Army. He moved to the United States in 1956. In exile, Pemkus did not give up his literary work. In the USA, he wrote for the Lithuanian community and he published his writings in Ateities spinduliai ("Rays of the Future", Ateitis ("The Future"), (4) was the editor of the Gajos aidas ("Echo of Vitality") in 1961-1964, and Medicine in 1974-1976. In 1979, he edited a book by the historian and archaeologist Jonas Puzinas (1905-1978) on Professor Petras Avizonis. (5) He published the memoirs of one of the heroines of the Catholic resistance in Lithuania Nijole Sadunaite's KGB akiratyje (In Sight of the KGB). (6) This is how, besides his medical profession, Kazys Pemkus made his contributions to literature. It was not only the means of professional knowledge seeking but also a hobby, which grew into a great passion for collecting Lithuanian literary treasures. This passion in him was inspired by Jonas Puzinas, who took an active part in Lithuanian cultural life in exile. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pemkus' dreams came true when Puzinas asked him to write The History of World Lithuanian Medical Doctors. The task was not easy, but it was interesting. Pemkus had to visit many libraries, establish connections with Lithuanians residing in different states, and meet Puzinas, who was then working at the University of Pennsylvania. …
Lietuviški pasažai užsienio kompozitorių gyvenime ir kūryboje = Lithuanian passages in music and life of foreign composers
Lituanus, 2020
The first Lithuanian symphony saw daylight in the capital of Russia too (1919). Its author, Juoza... more The first Lithuanian symphony saw daylight in the capital of Russia too (1919). Its author, Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) is little known in Lithuania today. He is more known to the Lithuanian Americans; he is even referred to as the diaspora’s patriarch of music as he, being the organist of the Lithuanians’ Saints Peter and Paul Church in Elisabeth, NJ, in 1929−1960, led choirs, wrote articles, and issued books. In 1961, he took up residence with the Jesuit fathers in Chicago, where he opened to the public the Lithuanian Musicology Archive he had accumulated (later combined with the library of Juozas Kreivėnas ), which has been part of the library-based Lithuanian Research and Studies Center to this day.
Mikalojaus Konstantino Čiurlionio muzikos sklaida JAV (1911-1991)
Das Konservatorium Klaipėda 1923 bis 1939. Litauisch-deutsche Musikbeziehungen
Lietuvos muzikologija, 2021
During the Soviet era, the works of Lithuanian diaspora composers were ignored and belittled. It ... more During the Soviet era, the works of Lithuanian diaspora composers were ignored and belittled. It was only in the late 1980s, with the beginning
of political change and the establishment of the Persitvarkymo Sąjūdis (the Reform Movement of Lithuania), that the interest in musicians
who had emigrated from Lithuania after WWII emerged. Not all of them lived to see the restoration of independent Lithuania. Jeronimas
Kačinskas, recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize, was one of many who was lucky enough to visit his homeland and hear his compositions
performed there. Robertas Varnas, choirmaster and educator, contributed greatly to the dissemination of his works. The purpose of this article
is: a) to reveal Varnas,s efforts to integrate Kačinskas,s musical heritage into Lithuanian culture through his letters sent from Lithuania to the
USA, and b) to highlight the political and cultural processes that took place at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The main
research methods were analysis of archival sources and literature and chronological consistency.
Keywords: Robertas Varnas, Jeronimas Kačinskas, music, choir, conductor, Klaipėda, suite-cantata “The Baltic”.
Opera Musicologica, 2020
Juozas Žilevičius (1891-1985) was a church organist, choir conductor, composer, teacher, and musi... more Juozas Žilevičius (1891-1985) was a church organist, choir conductor, composer, teacher, and music historian. He was the author of the first Lithuanian symphony, the initiator and organizer of the first Song Festival in Lithuania and of the musicological archive-museum, and one of the most active figures in the musical life of Kaunas and Klaipėda in the 1920s. Thanks to the efforts of Žilevičius, music became a compulsory subject with an approved curriculum in comprehensive schools, the methodology of choir conducting was developed, collection of musical folklore and its studies began, and Lithuanian musical press appeared. Unfortunately, today Žilevičius is little known in Lithuania. That is evidenced by the book History of Lithuanian Music. The Years of Independence, 1920–1940 (2009), where his name is rarely mentioned. His name is missing from the lists of graduates of Petrograd Conservatory, although he studied there in the period of 1915 through 1919 (see the publication Lithuanian Musicians and St. Petersburg Conservatory, 2019). One of the explanations for that lies in the ideological plane and is predetermined by Žilevičius' emigration to the United States in 1929. The aim of the article is to establish the reasons that led to the oblivion of Žilevičius and to prove that he deserves an important place in the history of Lithuanian music. The article is based on documentary data from the archives of Vilnius, St. Petersburg, and Chicago as well as from the published articles and memoirs of Žilevičius.
Lietuvos muzikologija, 2020
Vytautas Laurušas (1930–2019) was a composer, pedagogue, administrator, activist of the Communist... more Vytautas Laurušas (1930–2019) was a composer, pedagogue, administrator, activist of the Communist Party, supporter of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, and winner of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts. He lived and worked in two different epochs: in the Soviet era, i.e. under totalitarian rule, and in independent Lithuania. The topic of this paper is Laurušas’ memoirs and epistolary legacy, and the aim is to explore his worldview which allowed him to perform successfully in different times. The research is based on several methods: analysis of primary sources, history of music, musicological literature, and periodicals, given the ideological context, as well as comparison and generalisation of facts and interpretations. The paper does not claim to reveal the development of Laurušas’ mindset comprehensively and consistently, as it is based on only a minor part of his memoirs and letters, however, it is expected to be of use to those who will want to study Laurušas’ artistic and social activities in depth.
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Papers by Danute Petrauskaite
Lithuania. This epochal event brought together the scattered choirs
and choirmasters, raised the idea of national unity, and enriched the
choirs’ repertoire with new songs, laid the foundations for the establishment of a Lithuanian choir school, and the formation of a national tradition of Song Festivals. This article analyzes the birth of the song festival tradition in Lithuania, discusses its preparation process, repertoire, organizers, and choir conductors, as well as reviews in the periodical press.
to participate in the jubilee event and to visit Lithuanian communities in England, Scotland, and Wales. The concert programs featured Lithuanian songs and excerpts from classical operas. Some of the concerts were also open to English audiences. The soloists presented themselves as
artists from the Kaunas State Theatre, emphasizing the continuity of independent Lithuania’s traditions in exile. Twenty-two concerts were held over two months. The audience praised the performers, but the British press was reserved in its coverage. The Lithuanian Union invited the
same performers to tour Great Britain again in 1949 to mobilize their compatriots and achieve political goals (this time Antanina Dambrauskaitė replaced Izabelė Motekaitienė). Twenty-nine concerts took place, half of which were organized at the initiative of the Arts Council of Great Britain. This time, the British press paid more attention to the artists, and tickets sold out quickly. Lithuanian soloists in the UK sought work in their profession but faced challenges due to time constraints, financial limitations, and a lack of concrete offers. However, they effectively
served as “singing ambassadors,” representing Lithuania as a cultured nation and advocating against the illegal incorporation of Lithuania into the USSR.
Honorary Doctor of VMU Vydūnas (1868–1953). Several scientific articles have been published on his works, his books have been reprinted, and conferences are regularly held to analyze the philosopher’s thoughts, which remain relevant today. Therefore, it is difficult to expect to find new sources, such as unpublished letters or memoirs, when everything seems to have been collected and systematized. However, sometimes it is possible to find important documents relating to Vydūnas in one archive or another. This article discusses the relationship of the composer and musicologist Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) with the legendary thinker of Lithuania Minor. It presents the unknown memoirs of this musician, which provide an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into Vydūnas’ musical activities.
67 during the Soviet occupation. Even now, few people are cognizant of Žilevičius’s achievements since there are no capital works at all analyzing and summarizing his truly multifaceted activities. As the author of the first Lithuanian symphony and of instrumental chamber works, he laid the foundations for what became the concert life of independent Lithuania as well as for the tradition of organizing mass
song festivals. He also published periodicals reviewing Lithuanian music; stimulated the development of ethnomusicology; and prepared courses in music education for general education schools. Having amassed solid work experience in various fields of culture and education, he endeavored to apply this experience to practical work in emigration. His most important task was to foster national ethnic
identity. This paper aims to analyze Žilevičius’s views and his accomplishments in the United States, as he associated music training with preserving Lithuanian identity.
Keywords: music, folk song, kanklės, school, jazz, Lithuanian identity, ethnic education.
of the 20th century, in Lithuania, which was part of the Russian Empire, Lithuanian choral music concerts were banned along with
the printing of Latin letters. Only in Lithuania Minor, on German
territory, did Lithuanians have the opportunity to form societies
and organise public events. Vydūnas was the most active in this field,
organising concerts in Tilžė and on Rambynas Hill. Some writers of informative articles have therefore referred to these concerts,
which also began to take place in Lithuania after the abolition of
the press ban, as the first Song Festivals. Such claims were rightly
refuted by choral music researchers – Anicetas Arminas, Vytautas
Jakelaitis, Regimantas Gudelis – who acknowledged that these were
only the beginnings of choral music and that the main features of
the Song Festival are the mass participation of joint choirs, a preprepared programme and a Lithuanian repertoire.
In 1924, the first Song Festival was organised in independent
Lithuania. This epochal event brought together the scattered choirs
and choirmasters, raised the idea of national unity, enriched the
choirs’ repertoire with new songs, laid the foundations for the establishment of a Lithuanian choir school and the formation of a national tradition of Song Festivals. More than a hundred years have
passed since that celebration. In that time, a great deal of literature
has appeared, ranging from informative reports in the periodical
press to scientific books. The purpose of this article is to review and
add to this literature. The paper uses the results of research on archival sources and historiography, as well as methods of comparative
analysis and statistics.
The first Song Festival in Lithuania and its ethnic lands took place
on 23 and 25 August 1924. It could not take place on 24 August
due to bad weather conditions – rain. This date should not be announced with a hyphen between the days, but with a comma or the conjunction ‘and’. The choral gatherings that took place before
then, including those in Lithuania Minor, should be regarded as the
beginnings or origins of the Song Festivals.
The programme of the Song Festival was not the same as the one
announced by the organisers: Sasnauskas’ song ‘Kur bėga Šešupė’
[Where the Šešupė River runs] was dropped; Čiurlionis’ ‘Šėriau
žirgelį’ [I fed a Horse] was played once, but not twice. Based on
Žilevičius’ remarks, the programme of the first day’s celebration was
enriched with Šimkus’ song ‘We are Lithuanians’, performed by the
joint choir of Panevėžys. Thus, 35 songs by 15 different Lithuanian
composers (excluding the Lithuanian national anthem) were performed. Adding the 9 repeated numbers, a total of 44 choral works
were performed.
Seventy-six choirs sent the organisers of the Song Festival accurate
data on their singers. The sum of their members amounts to 3,060
participants, i.e., about 3,000 choir members, as announced in many
information reports. If we add a choir from Klaipėda, which did not
appear on the lists because it did not participate in the united choir,
we can say that there were 77 choirs at the festival.
When claiming one or another number of spectators at the Song
Festival, it should be stated which data is used. It is advisable to
use the number of tickets sold for the two-day concerts, around
20,000. If the figure of 50–60,000 spectators is mentioned, a note
should be added to the effect that this number of people could have
been catered for, but due to the weather and other factors, this did
not end up being the case.
he was active in all fields of music, laying the foundation of the
national culture. One of those fields was the establishment of
the Lithuanian Opera House in Kaunas. Not only did Žilevičius
watch the preparation of the first performances, but he also contributed to their production. He was a reviewer and an author of
numerous articles on the subject of opera. Therefore, the aim of
the paper is twofold: a) to evaluate Žilevičius’ contribution to the
foundation of the Opera House in Lithuania; and b) to reveal
the beginning of the development of the Opera House, based on
Žilevičius’ articles, memoirs, and archival sources. The following
facts were revealed:
1. The production of performances took place under particularly
difficult conditions: the premises of the City Theatre were neglected, and there was a lack of sheet notes, costumes, decorations,
and even performers. Žilevičius described this period as one of
the most difficult in his life, yet over the years he forgot the experienced hardships – only the bright picture of the Kaunas Opera
remained in his memory.
2. While working as the head of the Art Department at the Ministry of Education, Žilevičius contributed to the development of the
Statute and Regulations of the Opera House and played an active
role in sending musicians abroad, raising their salaries, dismissing
them from military service, and taking care of their well-being.
His publications on the theme of the Opera House were valuable
in several respects: they a) revealed the conditions of the period
during which the theatre was established and complemented the
history of the Lithuanian theatre art; and b) testified to the situation of music criticism in interwar Lithuania, the fields of critics’
interests, and their relationships with theatre people.
3. In America, Žilevičius was among the greatest proponents of
opera art. He published articles introducing the former stars of
the Kaunas Opera House who arrived in the United States, always remembered to commemorate Kaunas Opera anniversaries,
shared his memories with readers, and raised the idea to establish
a Lithuanian Opera House in America
of political change and the establishment of the Persitvarkymo Sąjūdis (the Reform Movement of Lithuania), that the interest in musicians
who had emigrated from Lithuania after WWII emerged. Not all of them lived to see the restoration of independent Lithuania. Jeronimas
Kačinskas, recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize, was one of many who was lucky enough to visit his homeland and hear his compositions
performed there. Robertas Varnas, choirmaster and educator, contributed greatly to the dissemination of his works. The purpose of this article
is: a) to reveal Varnas,s efforts to integrate Kačinskas,s musical heritage into Lithuanian culture through his letters sent from Lithuania to the
USA, and b) to highlight the political and cultural processes that took place at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The main
research methods were analysis of archival sources and literature and chronological consistency.
Keywords: Robertas Varnas, Jeronimas Kačinskas, music, choir, conductor, Klaipėda, suite-cantata “The Baltic”.