22nd International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition May 14-17, 2020 | Klaipėda, Lithuania #Simkus2020 International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition is one of the oldest choir competitions in Lithuania. Choir competition held every two years since 1976 in Klaipėda, Lithuania. Artistic Director and Organizer of the Choir Competition, President of Klaipėda Choirs Association “Aukuras” - assoc. prof. Algirdas Šumskis. This competition has deeply rooted traditions and is famous for its high artistic level, which attracts a lot of choir cultured personalities, who are the most renowned choir masters from the Baltic states and beyond. Stasys Šimkus (1887 – 1943) - Lithuanian composer. As a national romantist, Šimkus helped with the resurrection of the Lithuanian cultural organization “Daina” (“A Song”) in 1916. In 1923, he opened a private music school in Klaipėda, which soon after was converted into the National Conservatory of Lithuanian (now called the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire). He was a professor of composition at the Conservatoire from 1931 to 1937 and conducted the Opera of State at Kaunas. Šimkus composed several operas, a cantata, a symphonic poem, a piano suite, a ballade, lieders, choral works and church music. He composed the music for “Lietuvininkai (Lithuanians from Minor Lithuania) we Are Born” by Georg Sauerwein.