Open To The World 26: Avi Kaplan, Zero8, ISM Choir Bel Canto & Friends

Lyrics are extremely important in Americana. These are usually pieces written in a storytelling style, resembling letters, diaries, or short stories. Main themes include working-class concerns, provincial life, personal dramas, and social issues such as inequality or environmental protection.

In recent years, Americana has become a prominent direction in the independent American scene, often presented at festivals and concerts as modern but tradition-respecting music.

Exclusive content and concert experience in Christmas Vilnius

In this exclusive OTTW’26 program, Avi Kaplan will present his most prominent hits, intriguing duets with "Voces8" vocalist Blake Morgan, and a program prepared specifically for this evening with the best European male choir "Zero8" and the ISM choir "Bel Canto". Most of the pieces were arranged and adapted for the choirs by Avi Kaplan and Blake Morgan themselves, so this evening will have a distinct sound experienced only here.

The concert experience will be complemented by a subtle visual atmosphere. In the LVSO hall, video projections will echo the symbolism of Americana music, allowing sound and image to merge into one picture. This is an evening where Christmas Vilnius will take on a warmer, deeper, and slightly mysterious tone.

Main performers

Avi Kaplan (USA), vocalist and guitarist.

Blake Morgan (UK), vocalist.

Choir "Zero8" (Sweden). Artistic director Rasmus Krigström.

ISM choir "Bel Canto". Artistic director Milda Švelnienė.

Motiejus Bazaras, pianist.

Selected instrumentalists.

Creative and technical team

Producers – Avi Kaplan, Audrius Valatkevičius, Blake Morgan.

Sound – Kęstutis Dulinskas (No Noise).

Production design and lights – Martynas Vaitkevičius ("Delegatai").

Lighting programming and control – Paulius Varonenka ("FadersUp Live").

Video projections – Ričardas Matačius.

Video projection mapping (3D mapping) – Ervinas Gresevičius.

Video projection equipment and service – company "Baltas Dažnis".

Open To The World 2026

The ISM choir "Bel Canto" festival "Open To The World" is a unique, traditional vocal-choral music project in Lithuania. Its goal is to present modern content, the world's best choirs, vocal ensembles, and composers, to promote innovation in culture and choral music as well as cooperation between music creators from Lithuania and other countries, to foster Western culture, and to create, perform, and improve together.

Having started in 2018, "Open To The World" will present five concerts this year, featuring more than 270 singers and musicians: composer and conductor, two-time Grammy winner Christopher Tin (USA), alternative, indie, and country artist, former Pentatonix vocalist Avi Kaplan, 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.

Project sponsors: building manufacturers INHUS, real estate development company "Vastint Lithuania", the largest logistics real estate developer in the Baltic states "SIRIN Development", and Vilnius City Municipality. Information partner – LRT television, advertising partner – advertising agency "Ogilvy".