What happens when Lithuanian Christmas folk songs meet jazz improvisation?

The result is “neYra”—an exceptional holiday program in which traditional Lithuanian and archaic Christmas folk songs are interpreted for the very first time by jazz professionals. Singer Veronika ChiChi and pianist Dmitrijus Golovanovas, two prominent figures of the Lithuanian jazz scene, invite us to see this heritage not as a relic of the past, but as a living, breathing cultural phenomenon that continues to evolve today.

Lithuanian Christmas folk songs represent one of the oldest and most sensitive layers of our culture. Woven into their melodies is the collective memory of a community, humanity’s enduring relationship with nature, a quiet period of waiting, and a deep, hopeful longing for light.

At the heart of the program are brand-new arrangements crafted specifically for this project, blending archaic melodies with contemporary harmonies, improvisation, and spontaneous musical creation. Every piece becomes a living dialogue between the past and the present, between treasured tradition and pure creative freedom.

Certain pieces employ live looping techniques, allowing multi-layered vocal spaces to be built in real time. A single voice transforms into a choir, as melodies layer and gracefully intertwine, creating the profound impression of multiple generations singing in unison. The audience becomes more than just listeners; they become witnesses to the very birth of the music.

“neYra” is an opportunity to reforge a connection with tradition, revealing that Lithuanian folk songs can speak to the modern soul just as powerfully as they did centuries ago. During the Christmas season, a time when we naturally look back to our roots, our loved ones, and our core values, these melodies take on a truly profound meaning.

The project also reflects that which is ever-changing yet never fading—the threads that connect us across time, generations, and a rapidly shifting world, proving how tradition remains alive and present among us.

Dmitrijus Golovanovas and Veronika ChiChi are a duo who understand each other perfectly, breathing in the exact same rhythm both on stage and in life. Together, they are a seamless blend of top-tier professionalism, effortless charm, elegance, and charisma.

The music they perform is full of surprises and rich, varied colors. The cozy, melodic timbre of Veronika’s voice gently envelops the technical, expressive sound of Dmitrijus’s piano, suddenly transforming into an unstoppable vocal apotheosis—flowing like a powerful river, answered by Golovanovas’s piano not merely with sound, but with pure energy.

Veronika ChiChi is a beloved, charismatic, and ambitious master of jazz vocals whose voice strikes a chord in the soul of every listener. Stepping brightly and boldly onto the Lithuanian jazz scene, within a few years she assembled an impressive international quartet and recorded her debut album, “Singer of a 1000 Faces.” The subsequent release of her new quintet’s album, “Namai,” captured the hearts of audiences. An active presence in jazz venues and festivals, Veronika regularly performs with ensembles bearing her own name. This year, she was honored with the Golden Disc award. She has performed at jazz festivals and clubs across Europe (“Opus Club” in Budapest, the “Novi Sad” festival in Serbia, “Like A Jazz Machine” in Luxembourg, among others), the Cairo Jazz Festival, and in the USA and China with the contemporary opera “Geros Dienos!” and other projects.

Dmitrijus Golovanovas is one of the most prominent and influential jazz pianists in Lithuania, possessing a flawless command of the jazz language and mature musical taste. His talent, skill, expressiveness, and highly distinctive playing style have earned him a reputation as one of the most notable pianists on the Baltic jazz scene. His list of achievements includes reaching the semi-finals of the “Montreux Solo” piano competition and the finals of the “European Jazz Competition,” receiving the Musicians’ Union Golden Disc award, and winning the “Birštonas Jazz” festival Grand Prix for his contributions to Lithuanian jazz. Dmitrijus maintains an active concert and musical schedule, documented across more than 15 albums, and his extensive touring geography encompasses prestigious European concert halls and jazz festivals.