Lithuanian Trombone Project and Loreta Sungailienė

Compositions by Vytautas Pilibavičius, Lithuanian folksong arrangements by Vytautas Pilibavičius and Jievaras Jasinskis

The ensemble of professional trombonists and folk singer Loreta Sungailienė present a unique music project. It offers yet another modern look at folklore and opens a new page in Lithuanian trombone music history. The daring creative experiment took shape in 2016 at Birštonas Jazz Festival (then trombone quintet teamed up with jazz vocalist Girmantė Vaitkutė). When in 2018, the renowned folklorist Loreta Sungailienė joined the project it blossomed with new colours and compositions receiving even bigger attention of the connoisseurs of modern folklore and folk jazz.

The performers give concerts in various Lithuanian cities; take part in international jazz festivals at home and abroad. Vytautas Pilibavičius, the trombone virtuoso, conductor and composer of majority of compositions, is the mastermind of the project. His colleagues are classical musicians and jazz artists, members of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre Orchestra, winners of various international competitions: Marius Balčytis, Valentas Marozas, Albinas Gražulis and Remigijus Gumuliauskas, as well as percussionist Artūras Maniušis.  

Loreta Sungailienė, the ethnomusicologist and the host of many TV shows, is known not only as an explorer and singer of folksongs but also as a participant of various folk projects (Folkšokas, Sutartinės party, ZAP.4 elementai, etc.). “I like creative challenges especially those offered by music professionals. This project is very special to me because I have contributed to its development, recommended my favourite folksongs, and witnessed the creation of their arrangements” says Loreta.

The programme features Pilibavičius’ original compositions as well as his and Jievaras Jasinskis’ arrangements of Lithuanian calendar, work, family and war folksongs from different regions of Lithuania. Combining sensitive folk poetics, meandering melodies and modern jazz harmony these compositions also showcase nigh on authentic performance and masterful interpretations of jazz and contemporary music.