Karel Johannes Vähi
Kadri Tiis
Hirvo Surva
Agne Kurrikoff-Herman
Aarne Saluveer
Agra Bērziņa
Head of the Department of Cooperation Support at the National Centre for Education
Margus Toomla
Margus Toomla graduated from the Department of Choreography at Tallinn University in 2003. Since 2000, he has been part of the creative teams for national Dance Celebrations. In 2017, Toomla was the main choreographer of the XII Youth Dance Celebration. Since 2020, he has been a member of the board of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation.
Ingrid Mänd
Ingrid Mänd is active both as a choral and orchestral conductor: she has led the Estonian
National Symphony Orchestra in a gala program of Estonian operatic music, conducted the
performances of Benjamin Brittens “The Turn of the Screw”. Mänd has conducted several
times at the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration.
In 2014 Ingrid Mänd founded a female choir Kammerhääled, with whom they have recorded
two CD-s “Luiged läevad” (“Swans go”, composer Pärt Uusberg) and “Noore naise mõtted”
(“Thoughts of a young woman”, composer Rasmus Puur). In 2019-2022 Mänd was the chief
conductor of mixed choir HUIK!
In October 2019 she won the 1st prize at the 9th International Competition for Young
Conductors in Paris, organized by European Choral Association and received special prize
from Choeur d´Orchestre de Paris. She was named Young Conductor of the Year by Estonian
Choral Association in 2019.
From January 2022 to May 2023, Mänd was the choirmaster of Choeur de l’Orchestre de
Paris.
Ingrid Mänd is the head of Estonian Choral Conductors Association.
Hanna-Liisa Mõtus
Hanna-Liisa Mõtus on tunnustatud noor Eesti arhitekt. Ta töötab arhitektuuribüroos 3+1 arhitektid ning on Tallinna Lauluväljaku ruumilise tervikvisiooni võidutöö “Kiigele” üks autoritest.
Sten Weidebaum
Eesti Laulu- ja Tantsupeo SA teabejuht. Eesti, Läti ja Leedu laulu- ja tantsupeo traditsiooni UNESCO Balti koostöökogu liige.
Dagmāra Bārbale
Chief-Choreographer of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (2018., 2023.), Chief-Choreographer of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration (2020/2021., 2025.), Artistic director of the Riga Technical University folk dance ensemble “Vektors”.
Art. D. Jānis Purviņš
Chief Choreographer of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2023) and the artistic director of the Dance Celebration (2003, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2023), Chief-Choreographer of the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration (2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020/2021) and the artistic director of the Dance celebration (2005). Chief-Choreographer of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration (Tallinn, 2004); Liepāja city and Dienvidkurzeme region chief-choreographer, Artistic director of the folk-dance ensemble “Līgo” and “Līgo Absolventi”.
Jānis Baltiņš
Chief-Conductor of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (2023), Director of choir conducting department and Lecturer at the Jāzeps Vītols Academy of Music; Artistic director of the Sigulda Cultural centre “Devons” mixed choir “Atvars” and Alūksne Cultural Centre mixed choir “Atzele”.
Aira Birziņa
Chief-Conductor of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (2003, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2023), Professor of choir conducting at the Jāzeps Vītols Academy of Music, Artistic director of the Riga Cathedral girls’ choir “Tiara”, Artistic director of the women’s choir “Dzintars” and Ogre Cultural centre women’s choir “Rasa”. She’s the chief conductor of Ogre region choirs and the Riga women’s choir group, Expert of the Latvian choir industry council. Conducts master classes and courses, speaks at lectures, seminars, and conferences, participates as a judge of various competitions in Latvia and abroad.
Ints Teterovskis
Chief-Conductor of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (2008, 2013, 2018, 2023), Artistic director of the youth choir “Balsis”, Vice-chairman of the Council of the Song and Dance Celebration, Chairman of the NGO “Song and Dance Celebration society”.
Anda Laķe
Vice-Rector of the Latvian Academy of Culture in Scientific Work, Head of the Institute of Art and Culture Studies. Professor, Doctor of sociology (Dr.sc.soc)
Jurģis Spulenieks
Stage director, acting class teacher at the Riga School of Ballet, Latvian National Centre for Culture amateur-theatre expert.
Zanda Mūrniece
Choreographer. Latvian National Centre for Culture Latvian performing folk dance expert, Chief-Choreographer of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (1998, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2023), Chief-Choreographer of the Latvian School Youth Song and dance Celebration (2005., 2020/2021., 2025.), Tukums region and Jūrmala city dance group chief-choreographer.
Lauris Goss
Choir conductor. The leading expert in choral music at the Latvian National Centre for Culture; The artistic director of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Mixed Choir. L. Goss has participated in the organisation of several Latvian Song and Dance Celebrations.
Andis Groza
Choir conductor. Deputy director of the Latvian National Centre for Culture, Head of the Cultural Education Department at the Latvian National Centre for Culture.
Sarmīte Pāvulēna
Head of the Department of Preservation and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition at the Latvian National Centre for Culture
Signe Pujāte
Director of the Latvian National Centre for Culture.
Živilė Adomaitienė
Živilė Adomaitienė – choreographer, specialist of choreography of the Amateur Art Department of the National Cultural Center of Lithuania, lecturer of the Department of Cultural Management and Dance Pedagogy of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies of the Vilnius College, head of the children folk dance collective “Rasodėlė” of Vilnius city. She is the author of the scripts, artistic director, chief ballet master of Lithuanian schoolchildren’s song celebrations and Lithuanian song celebrations, creator of folk dances, organizer of choreographers’ qualification improvement events.
Jolanta Tendienė
Jolanta Tendienė – teacher-expert of choreography, director of the Mažeikiai Choreography School, artistic director of the folk dance studio “Kauskutis” uniting 200 children and youth, ballet master of the Lithuanian song festivals and Lithuanian schoolchildren’s song festivals, board member of the Lithuanian Choreographers Association.
Saulius Liausa
Saulius Liausa holds a degree in choir conducting from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. He conducted men’s and mixed choirs, most notably – “Ave Vita” choir of the Lithuanian University of Education, which won several awards in prestigious competitions. In 1994 S. Liausa started working as Senior Specialist of Music at the Lithuanian Folk Culture Center, since 2006 he has been the Director of the Lithuanian National Culture Center. He was the Director of the 2007, 2009, 2014, 2018, and 2024 Lithuanian Song Celebrations, Director of Baltic States Student Song and Dance Festivals “Gaudeamus” in 1999, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022. S. Liausa also organizes regional song celebrations, festivals, competitions, qualification seminars for culture specialists, prepares presentations of Lithuanian culture at international events in Lithuania and abroad. He actively contributes to the formation of the state policy of amateur art and culture centers.
Valerija Skapienė
Valerija Skapienė – artistic director of Children’s Choir and Music School “Ugnele” in Vilnius, Lithuania. She also teaches choir conducting at Vilnius J. Tallat-Kelpsa Music Conservatoire, leads mixed choir “Sonoros”, United Lithuanian Children’s Choir and conducts at Lithuanian Song Celebrations. Valerija holds the Status of Art Creator from the Ministry of Culture of Lithuania and was awarded the national “Aukso Paukste” (the most prestigious Lithuanian amateur art award) three times: as best children’s choir conductor (with “Ugnele”), best adult choir conductor (with female choir “Viva”) and best new amateur group conductor (with mixed choir “Sonoros”). She gives workshops around Lithuania and at international events for both young singers and their teachers.
Dr. Linas Balandis
Conductor and artistic director. Dr. Linas Balandis (b. 1988, Lithuania) graduated in choir conducting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (2013) and PhD at the same institution (2018). He is currently the conductor and artistic director of the male choir „Kariūnas“ at the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, artistic director of the Šiauliai State Chamber Choir „Polifonija“, lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (choir conducting department).
Ieva Krivickaitė
Ieva Krivickaite is a culture manager. She works as head of communications and marketing at the Lithuanian Song Celebration, head of Regional Culture Department at the Lithuanian National Culture Centre, vice principal at Ugnele Music School and managing director at Mixed Choir Sonoros. In all of these positions, Ieva focuses on contributing to a positive public image for amateur arts (especially choral singing) and promoting Lithuanian amateur culture abroad. Additionally, she has managed national projects like the United Lithuanian Children’s Choir and international events like Europa Cantat Junior festival. Ieva is currently completing MA in Culture and Arts Management at Leuphana University in Germany.