Dialogues of Silence

Interestingly, in 1931, the very first vibraphone in the Baltic states was brought to Lithuania from the USA (a year before the first vibraphone recording was made globally). The public was introduced to the sound of this instrument at the "Metropolis" restaurant in Kaunas by an ensemble led by violinist Moišė Hofmekleris. Not long after, the vibraphone's nascent history in Lithuania was halted by the Second World War, but today, this instrument is returning to the stage with renewed vigor and its unique sound.

In the concert "Dialogues of Silence," vibraphonist Marius Šinkūnas, together with his colleagues, will open a new chapter in the history of this instrument. The warm, meditative sounds of the instrument will blend here with jazz guitar and the exceptionally rare, deep timbre of the Lithuanian contrabass birbynė.

Performers:

Marius Šinkūnas – vibraphone, compositions Mindaugas Stumbras – guitar, arrangements Arvydas Jankus – contrabass and soprano birbynė

About the performers:

Marius Šinkūnas is a professional vibraphonist, performer, and educator. He became acquainted with the unique performance technique and solo possibilities of the vibraphone while studying at Western Michigan University (USA). Upon returning to Lithuania, he opened the first vibraphone class in the Baltic states and has been consistently expanding the instrument's repertoire. Currently, Marius is a doctoral student in educational science at Vilnius University, researching the history of the vibraphone and its significance in the context of world music. He is a lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, training students specializing in percussion instruments. "Dialogues of Silence" is the musician's first solo album.

Mindaugas Stumbras is a jazz guitarist and composer, a prominent jazz performer of his generation. The guitarist actively performs throughout Europe, appears at prestigious festivals ("Siena Jazz", "Vilnius Mama Jazz", "Kaunas Jazz", "Jazz is Back", etc.), and plays with international music virtuosos. He has released the albums "Our Kingdom" (2018), "Inspirations" (2021), "Among the Pines" (2023), "Stung out" (2025, with Chris Ruebens), and "The Spinner of Yarns" (2025). His ensembles have won prizes at Vilnius Jazz Young Power and the Kaunas Jazz Competition, and the performer himself received the Young Creator Award from the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture (2022). He is one of the founders of the group Brave Noises.

Arvydas Jankus is a performer of the contrabass and soprano birbynė, actively participating in the cultivation of the Lithuanian wind instrument tradition and its modern interpretations. For many years, he has played in Lithuanian birbynė ensembles, including the Vilnius Birbynė Quintet, with which he performs in concerts across Lithuania. In his projects, he combines the traditional Lithuanian sound with the aesthetics of contemporary music, providing the instrument with new interpretive possibilities. In "Dialogues of Silence," the contrabass birbynė becomes a conceptual symbol of Lithuanian identity – a rare, archaic, and uniquely personal color of sound.