Brevis Chamber Choir
Brevis was founded in 1990 as a vocal ensemble at the Church of St Casimir in Vilnius. A handful of its members still gather there for Mass on Sundays to sing various kinds of religious music, from Gregorian chant to contemporary pieces.
In 1993, when Gintautas Venislovas took over as artistic director, the choir started growing, as did its musical ambitions. In the spring of 1996, Brevis was named absolute winner at the Third International Choir Competition in Maribor, Slovenia, having won the Grand Prix and the Public Prize, and Venislovas won a prize as the best conductor. Over the next few years, it participated and won first prize in a number of international choral competitions. Brevis currently consists of about 30 singers, most of whom are present or former students of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. The choir takes part in unusual artistic projects, including concert installations, jazz performances, rock music events and world music experiences.