Dear fellow countrymen,
Today we celebrate the day of restoration of Lithuania’s independence. What an appropriate occasion, then, to also celebrate the continuation of a cultural tradition that is of such great importance to our nation – the North American Lithuanian SONG FESTIVAL! It will take place June 27-29, 2025, in Cleveland!
We are excited to be able to continue the work started by our predecessors, and in recent years, by the festival’s previous artistic directors Rita Čyvaitė-Kliorienė, Dalia Skrinskaitė-Viskontienė and Darius Polikaitis and their committees. We tip our hats to them – we wouldn’t be here were it not for the strong foundation they have laid!
We are excited for the incredible opportunity to bring together singers of different generations, scattered across the United States and Canada. We are especially excited for the opportunity to involve and encourage our singing youth. We are also excited about the ever-closer connection with Lithuania, its choirs, and the National Culture Center.
We are honored and moved by the trust placed in us by the Executive boards of Lithuanian Communities in the United States and Canada. It is with gratitude and determination that we accept the responsibility to organize the next national song festival.
There is no event that uplifts and unites our nation more than a celebration of Lithuanian national song or dance. It is exactly that unity that we seek to foster having chosen the theme of the 2025 Song Festival – “One family – One nation.” It does not matter what corner of the world we live in; we are united by our Lithuanian cultural heritage and our homeland LIETUVA. We look forward to seeing you all in Cleveland in 2025, where we will collectively celebrate our song festival!
Please help us in disseminating this exciting news as widely as possible!
Happy Independence Day!
With warm regards,
Kristina Kliorys & Aleksandras Stankevičius
Artistic directors of the XI North American Lithuanian Song Festival
