Well-known Lithuanian actors and singers – Jokūbas Bareikis, Jurga Šeduikytė, Lina Rastokaitė, Rafailas Karpis, Gabrielius Liaudanskas – Svaras and others whom the organizers will reveal later – invite you to the solemn concerts of the most beautiful songs and stories “Vytautas Kernagios Kodeksas”. In the four largest Lithuanian arenas, the listeners will not only remember the beloved works of the national herald Maestro, but will also have the opportunity to see never-before-seen archival material from the life and work of V. Kernagis.

Jokūbas Bareikis, the director of the “Vytautas Kernagios Kodeksas” project, has been successfully traveling around Lithuania for more than a year with a program of songs by V. Kernagios in solo concerts. This time Mr. Bareikis will not be alone – he will share the stage with at least five well-known national performers and stage colleagues. With the help of a live sound band, strings, gospel choir “Vilnius Voices”, scenography and lighting professionals and the most beautiful voices of the Lithuanian stage, the director will invite you to meet on the biggest stages of the country – their space and technical capabilities will allow listeners to hear and feel even more impressive and magnificent performances dedicated to the memory of the Maestro.

“Exactly this, the second program dedicated to Kernagis, seems to have grown out of the first, in every sense – both in terms of scale and topic,” says J. Bareikis. – I keep thinking why Maestro became that one and unique thing that made him immortal in people’s hearts? It’s probably not just a song, a word, or a personality. Through his work, he radiated values – people left his concerts different. Maybe only for an evening, a week, or a month, but others – with a smile, thoughtful, a little happier, sometimes – frowning. What did Vytautas talk about between the lines? What might he not have time to say? I am looking for this answer. I named it the “Vytautas Kernagis Code”.

The family of V. Kernagis also contributes to the preparation for these concerts – they help to select never-before-seen archival material that the audience will see during the concerts. J. Bareikis says that the family’s consent and cooperation was one of the main, moral conditions for these concerts to take place.

Singer and songwriter Jurga Šeduikytė, who will perform songs by V. Kernagis at the concert, says she will never forget her first meeting with the Maestro.

“I remember I met Vytautas at my concert, at the legendary concert venue in Palanga “Vandenis”. It was very good to meet him, it was good to realize that he knows what I sing, what my music is.”

J. Šeduikytė says that the support of those around him is always very important for a singer – the colleagues, musicians, team around you are always changing, and you remain alone with yourself.

“And you never quite know if what you’re doing on this earth is good?” And when a person like Vytautas, whom you respect very much, comes and says that everything is fine with you, keep going – these are very important and necessary words.”

Opera soloist, tenor Rafailas Karpis admits that Vytautas Kernagis accompanied him from childhood to the present day.

“My earliest memories are gloomy winter evenings, when my parents and I would faithfully watch his show “Last Chance” – those evenings turned into joyful holidays,” says the soloist. – Later, while studying at school, especially in the older classes, no one conveyed the great lines of Lithuanian poetry more convincingly than the songs he created and performed based on those lines. And this is just a small part of Vytautas in my life. I think that Kernagis shaped the identity of many Lithuanian people.”

R. Karpis hopes that during the concerts it will be possible to remember with the listeners what we have the best – the work of Vytautas Kernagis – in a simple, but at the same time deep and sincere, of course – with a little sarcasm and respectful humor.

Concert director Jokūbas Bareikis remembers that while preparing for these projects, he discovered more and more interesting coincidences related to Kernagis – for example, his favorite record from his childhood was V. Kernagis LP.

“I also learned to play the piano at the same school, in high school I was taught by the same teacher Laima Abraitytė, thanks to whom Maestro became interested in poetry. Later, Kernagis and I met live, during the final exams – I chose to sing his song, and the head of the course R. Tuminas suggested that I wear make-up like him, and he persuaded Kernagis to sing the song with me. And so it was – Kernagis enters the stage, sings the first stanza of “Purple Evening”, I leave, dressed in make-up like him, and sing the second. During the playback, we stand and look at each other – “Who are you?”, “I am me.” And who are you?”