The project is an artistic journey into the world of Jewish Vilnius – once called the “Jerusalem of Lithuania” (Jerushalayim de-Lite), the spiritual capital of Eastern European Jewry. The synagogues of Vilnius, especially the Choral Synagogue, were not only places of prayer but also vibrant centers of musical, artistic, and communal life. It was there that music blending liturgy, choral harmony, and distinctive organ parts was created and performed – a hallmark of the Reform Jewish movement in Central and Eastern Europe.
The program features works by outstanding composers and cantors associated with Vilnius:
Abraham Moshe Bernstein (1866–1932) - chief cantor of the Vilnius Choral Synagogue from 1893 to 1921, author of the monumental three-volume Avodat HaBore. A composer, conductor, folklorist, and publicist, Bernstein laid the foundations of the modern Lithuanian synagogue style.
Jakub Abelow (c. 1880–1945) - conductor and cantor active in Vilnius, who promoted choral music rooted in Jewish liturgical and folk melodies. His works carry a strong emotional and spiritual depth, while maintaining high musical artistry.
Arno Nadel (1878–1943) - musicologist, cantor, poet, and composer born in Vilnius. His cycle Schire Simroh represents a modern, artistic interpretation of traditional liturgical texts. Nadel also documented the singing traditions of Lithuanian cantors, striving to preserve them for future generations.
Gershon Sirota (1874–1943) - a world-renowned cantor whose career began in Vilnius. Before becoming a legend of the synagogues of Warsaw and Vienna, he honed his craft in his hometown, blending Hasidic emotionality with operatic vocal mastery.
The project is featuring both cantorial works and choral-organ arrangements of prayers and liturgical texts.
Some of these pieces have been reconstructed from preserved manuscripts and historical sources and are being performed publicly
for the first time in over a hundred years.
“Sounds of Vilnius: Music of the Former Jerushalayim de-Lite” aims to revive the memory of the music that once contributed to Vilnius’s multicultural identity and to pay tribute to its former cantors and composers.
Performers:
Yael (Anna Woźnicka, Anita Szwacińska, Bartosz Szwaciński, Piotr Łapiński)
Jakub Stefek (orgel)
