Saulaine

The children's choir of Kretinga Art's school named “Saulainė” was established in year 2002. Violeta Andriuškevičienė and Eugenija Karkienė lead the choir.

There is ancient and new fashion Lithuanian and foreign music in the repertoire of the choir. The choir takes part in Lithuanian and foreign concerts and sings songs with professional arti sts. From the very beginning the choir has taken part in diff erent festi vals and competi ti ons. The choir been the winner of Republic competitions many times.

In 2006 the choir “Saulaine” won a gold medal prize in XXIV internati onal choir competi ti on Olomouc (Czech Republic); in 2007 was awarded a gold diploma in internati onal Johannes Brahms choir competi ti on Wernigerode (Germany). The choir “Saulainė” is also proud of the silver medal won in the 2008 world choir games in Graz (Austria).

For all achievements, the choir has become a laureate in 2008 and nominated as a “New Glinted star”, also the choir won the first “Golden Bird” award in Lithuania.

Violeta Andruškevičienė was born in 1959. She studied choir conducti ng at the Lithuanian Nati onal Academy of music and theatre. Since 1984 she has been the teacher of Kreti nga art's school and since 2002 she has been a leader and fi rst conductor of the choir “Saulainė”. She is the conductor of the 2009 Lithuanian Millennium Songs and Dance Celebration. Kretinga is an old town of Western Lithuania near the Baltic Sea. This town, which has been known since XIII c. is rich in historical and cultural heritage. In the very old centre of the town, there is a fascinating Franciscan church complex and monastery, dating back to the XVII c. Today the town covers an area of 1542 ha and has a population of about 22 000 residents.