First Ever Lithuanian Music Park Created in Alytus City

The first public music park in Lithuania has recently been opened in a city garden in Alytus - the largest city in Southern Lithuania.

Percussion Play Baltics created the design together with the director of the Alytus Youth Symphony Orchestra “Svajone,” who plan to use the instruments for future outdoor lessons and concerts.

The leader and conductor of the Svajone orchestra is Daiva Martikonyte. Daiva and her colleagues Justina Jočytė-Orinienė, Conductor Karolis Variakojis, and others have long dreamed about creating a public music park somewhere in Alytus, where families, children, and schools could come and make music freely and without any previous experience or formal training. She met with Eglė Prieskienienė (Director of Dego), who immediately understood what they wished to achieve. Finally, on a cold November day this autumn, Daiva proudly opened the first-ever Lithuanian Music Park.

In the city garden, positioned near the local Art School, several Percussion Play instruments were installed including Handpipes, Tubular Bells, Babel Drum, Papilio Bells and a trio of Cajon Drums

Almost as soon as the park was opened, the students of the surrounding schools rushed to try out the various outdoor musical instruments and hear the different sounds they could make. Then, last weekend, the press, residents, families, and friends were all invited to wrap up warm and come along to play on the outdoor instruments together with members of the Alytus Youth Orchestra in an official opening ceremony. The opening was a huge success.

The Alytus Music School Youth Symphony Orchestra ”Svajonė” was established in 2005 and consists of 60 musicians, most of whom are either the students of Alytus Music School, its graduates, or teachers. Svajone means "dream" in Lithuanian, and in this particular Alytus city park, dreams really can come true.