Saulius Petreikis
If one were to name the number one world music performer in Lithuania, it would no doubt be Saulius Petreikis. Although he is a classically trained trumpeter, this prolific and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist finds inspiration mainly in the musical traditions of lands as far apart as Lithuania, Armenia, and China, to name just a few, and feels equally at home in all of them. Petreikis does not travel to all of these musical destinations alone, however, as his frequent companions include many distinguished musicians and ensembles who are just as dedicated to exploring the different territories of sound, both traditional and contemporary, and he is always happy to collaborate. Far from being an eclectic mix of unrelated influences, Saulius Petreikis’ diverse output manages to stay true to each and every one of its equally important components – primarily because of the artist’s deep personal engagement with them. It is also telling that his most recent album Dzūkija with the singer Rasa Serra is dedicated to faithful interpretations of Lithuanian traditional folk songs, which clearly demonstrates that despite admiration for the world’s sounds a big part of Saulius Petreikis’ musical heart belongs here.
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