Open To The World 26: Christopher Tin, LVSO, ISM Choras Bel Canto & Draugai

 

As part of its flagship Open To The World festival, ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius presents unique content and concert experience. On December 4–5, 2026, the festival welcomes two‑time Grammy‑winning composer and conductor Christopher Tin (USA), one of today’s leading voices in concert, opera, and video‑game music. Following two sold‑out shows in 2024, he returns to Vilnius with an even more ambitious program.

 

The OTTW’26 concert unites 230 performers from Lithuania, the USA, Sweden, France, and Ukraine, featuring the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, choirs ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, A Scalpella, and Liepaitės, vocal ensemble Les Itinérantes, vocalist Jamal Moore, soprano Kseniya Bakhritdinova, and tenor Peter Drackley.

 

 

 

For the only time this year in Europe, the LSSO Concert Hall hosts a live performance of Tin’s critically acclaimed album To Shiver the Sky. This powerful oratorio traces the history of flight and humanity’s quest to conquer the skies. Through the words of eleven legendary astronomers, inventors, visionaries, and pilots, it explores our drive to investigate the universe, defy earthly limits, and claim a place among the stars.

 

The themes of scientific discovery and human progress are framed by two major highlights: Sogno di Volare, the multi‑million‑stream theme from Civilization VI inspired by Da Vinci’s writings on flight, and President John F. Kennedy’s We Choose to Go to the Moon speech, a defining symbol of the Cold War and the Space Race.

 

 

Yet To Shiver the Sky also confronts the darker side of progress. Become Death, the album’s most dramatic and haunting movement, reflects on the creation of the atomic bomb and the moral crisis faced by its architect, J. Robert Oppenheimer. It stands as a reminder that the same scientific evolution sparked by Da Vinci’s dreams of flight ultimately gave humanity the power to destroy itself.

 

One of the album’s most compelling features is its sweeping instrumentation. To mirror the history of aviation, Tin guides listeners through musical eras ranging from the Medieval and Classical periods to Impressionism, Romanticism, Modernism, and contemporary post‑classical styles. Sung in multiple languages – including English, Latin, Italian, German, French, Polish, and Sanskrit – the album delivers a powerful message of unity: regardless of race, culture, or religion, we are bound by a shared human experience.

 

 

 

While Christopher Tin achieved global recognition with his Grammy‑winning works for the Civilization video‑games, the Washington National Opera entrusted him with an even greater challenge in 2024: composing a new finale for Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. He became only the fourth composer in history to receive this honor.

 

The premiere earned exceptional critical acclaim. Reviewers hailed the finale as a creative triumph that elegantly resolved the opera’s narrative challenges, praising its musical precision and psychological depth. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the scene “grows organically out of Puccini’s original – like a tasteful modern addition to a historic building.” The work gained wider global attention when Japanese figure‑skating star Yuma Kagiyama selected it for his performance at this year’s Winter Olympics.

 

At the OTTW’26 concerts, this finale becomes the centerpiece of the first half, marking its historic live premiere in Europe.

 

 

The concert will also feature Tin’s most iconic works, which have earned him global acclaim and two Grammy Awards: his legendary Civilization soundtracks – the multi‑million‑stream hits Baba Yetu and Sogno di Volare – alongside Waloyo Yamoni and Live Gloriously from the newly released Civilization VII.

 

This year, the concert experience is further heightened by custom video projections. Designed specifically for the venue, the visuals echo the symbols and emotional arc of Tin’s epic music, seamlessly blending visual storytelling with live sound.

 

Christopher Tin (USA), Conductor and Composer.

Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra (LVSO) – Artistic Director: Gintaras Rinkevičius.

ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius – Artistic Director: Milda Švelnienė.

A Scalpella Mixed Choir (Sweden) – Artistic Director: Rasmus Krigström.

Liepaitės Girls Choir – Artistic Director: Mantas Jauniškis.

Vocal Ensemble Les Itinérantes (France) – Soloists: Pauline Langlois De Swarte, Manon Cousin, Élodie Pont.

Jamal Moore (USA), Vocalist.

Kseniya Bakhritdinova (Ukraine), Soprano.

Peter Drackley (USA), Tenor.

Conductor: Christopher Tin.

 

Producers – Christopher Tin, Audrius Valatkevičius, Meg Redmond, Claire Long.

Sound Engineering – Kęstutis Dulinskas (No Noise).

Production & Lighting Design – Martynas Vaitkevičius (Delegatai).

Lighting Programming & Operation – Paulius Varonenka (FadersUp Live).

Video Projection Design – Ričardas Matačius.

3D Projection Mapping – Ervinas Gresevičius.

Technical Support & Equipment – Baltas Dažnis.

 

ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ flagship Open To The World festival is a unique vocal‑choir music project in Lithuania that has become a cherished tradition. It showcases modern content and the world’s finest choirs, vocal ensembles, and composers. The festival promotes cultural and choral innovation and fosters cooperation between Lithuanian and international musicians. It also serves as a platform to nurture Western culture, create, innovate, and grow together.

 

Born in 2018, this year’s festival features five concerts bringing together over 270 singers and musicians. Headliners and participants include two‑time Grammy‑winning composer and conductor Christopher Tin (USA), alternative, indie, and country artist and former Pentatonix vocalist Avi Kaplan (USA), the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, choirs Zero8, A Scalpella (Sweden), and Liepaitės, vocal ensembles Les Itinérantes (France) and Ringmasters (Sweden), soloists Jamal Moore, Peter Drackley (USA), Kseniya Bakhritdinova (Ukraine), Blake Morgan (UK), and others.

 

The festival is sponsored by engineering, prefab, and construction company INHUS, property developer Vastint Lithuania, the largest logistics property developer in the Baltic States, SIRIN Development, and Vilnius City Municipality. LRT TV is the information partner, and Ogilvy is the advertising partner.