On August 16, a Kazickas Family Sacred Music Hours concert was held at St. Casimir’s Church in Vilnius to commemorate the 85th wedding anniversary of the late Alexandra and Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas. This special tradition, established through the Kazickas family’s initiative and patronage, brought together two seemingly distinct stories that share a common thread – the life journey of the Kazickas family and the Chicago Lithuanian Opera, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

The concert drew a large audience, with St. Casimir’s Church filled with listeners that evening. The program featured the 70-year-old Chicago Lithuanian Opera Choir, its artistic director and soloist Nida Grigalavičiūtė, as well as Lithuanian opera soloists Eglė Juozapaitienė, Vytautas Juozapaitis, and Liudas Mikalauskas. Renata Marcinkutė-Lesieur, artistic director of the Kazickas Family Sacred Music Hours, accompanied.

Throughout their lives, Alexandra and Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas nurtured their connection to Lithuania, Lithuanian culture, and the community. From the very beginning of the Sacred Music Hours, they were patrons of the concert series. Today, the Kazickas Family Foundation continues the tradition of support they established, making it possible for Vilnius residents and visitors to enjoy performances by outstanding Lithuanian and international artists free of charge.

The Chicago Lithuanian Opera Choir held a special place in this year’s concert as it celebrated its 70th anniversary. Founded in 1956 by Lithuanian emigrants, the ensemble has presented more than 40 opera productions over seven decades. From its very beginnings, performing in the Lithuanian language has been one of the choir’s central principles – even works of the world opera repertoire are performed in Lithuanian in Chicago.

The choir’s return to Lithuania for its anniversary was a particularly meaningful part of the evening. For many of its current members, it was their first performance in their homeland. The concert brought together Lithuanian musical traditions from the diaspora and Lithuania, while also reminding us that Lithuanian identity and culture can be nurtured regardless of time or distance.

The stories of the Kazickas family and the Chicago Lithuanian Opera are connected by a shared love of Lithuania and its culture, as well as a desire to pass this connection on to future generations. The concert became a meaningful meeting point for these two stories, with music bringing Lithuania and the Lithuanian diaspora together.

We invite you to view moments from the event in the photo gallery.

Photo credits: Jurgita Satkūnaitė