Dialogues of Silence | M. Šinkūnas, M. Stumbras, A. Jankus

It is interesting to note that in 1931, the very first vibraphone in the Baltic States was brought to Lithuania from the USA (a year before the first vibraphone recording was made anywhere in the world). The audience was introduced to the sound of this instrument at the “Metropolis” restaurant in Kaunas by an ensemble led by violinist Moišė Hofmekler. Not long after, the history of the vibraphone in Lithuania, which had only just begun, was interrupted by the Second World War. Today, however, the instrument is returning to the stage with renewed energy and its distinctive sound.

At the concert “Silent Dialogues”, vibraphonist Marius Šinkūnas and his colleagues will open a new chapter in the history of this instrument. The warm, meditative sounds of the vibraphone will blend with jazz guitar and the exceptionally rare, deep timbre of the Lithuanian contrabass birbynė.

Performers:

Marius Šinkūnas – vibraphone, compositions
Mindaugas Stumbras – guitar, arrangements
Arvydas Jankus – contrabass and high-pitched birbynės

About the performers:

Marius Šinkūnas is a professional vibraphonist, performer and educator. He became acquainted with the unique playing techniques and solo possibilities of the vibraphone while studying at Western Michigan University (USA). After returning to Lithuania, he established the first vibraphone class in the Baltic States and has been consistently expanding the instrument’s repertoire. Marius is currently a doctoral student in educational sciences at Vilnius University, researching the history of the vibraphone and its significance in the context of world music. He is also a lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he teaches students specialising in percussion instruments. “Silent Dialogues” is the musician’s first solo album.

Mindaugas Stumbras is a jazz guitarist and composer, and a prominent jazz performer of his generation. He actively performs throughout Europe and has appeared at prestigious festivals such as “Siena Jazz”, “Vilnius Mama Jazz”, “Kaunas Jazz”, “Jazz is Back” and others, performing with international music virtuosos. He has released the albums “Our Kingdom” (2018), “Inspirations” (2021), “Among the Pines” (2023), “Stung Out” (2025, with Chris Ruebens), and “The Spinner of Yarns” (2025). His ensembles have won prizes at the Vilnius Jazz Young Power and Kaunas Jazz competitions, while the performer himself received the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture’s Young Creator Award in 2022. He is one of the founders of the group Brave Noises.

Arvydas Jankus is a performer of the contrabass and high-pitched birbynė, actively contributing to the preservation of the Lithuanian wind instrument tradition and its contemporary interpretations. For many years, he has performed as part of Lithuanian birbynė ensembles, including the Vilnius Birbynė Quintet, with which he performs at concerts throughout Lithuania. In his projects, he combines traditional Lithuanian sounds with the aesthetics of contemporary music, giving the instrument new interpretative possibilities. In “Silent Dialogues”, the contrabass birbynė becomes a conceptual symbol of Lithuanian identity – rare, archaic and distinctly Lithuanian in its unique timbre.