The Lithuanian Folk Music Band Sutaras is an independent, professional folklore group. You will find the whole range of Lithuanian instrumental folk music in its repertoire: from old rituals, to authentic shepherds' instruments dating to the end of the 19th Century, to the international and classical instruments that became increasingly more common in the villages of Lithuania by the beginning if the 20th Century. During a Sutaras concert you might hear a unique polyphonic sutartine (round) performed on daudytes (wooden horns), rageliai (horns), or skudučai (pan pipes). Or you might hear instrumental versions of songs or maybe even shepherd singing called raliavimas, which is performed with lumzdeliai (recorders) or rageliai (horns). Lively Lithuanian folk dances are played with violins, accordions, clarinets, cymbals, and a number of other instruments. The Band's musicians do not evade experimentation and constantly search for ways to catch the interest to their audience while showing off the unique nature of Lithuanian folk art. You will sense traditional village music coupled with the precision characteristic of professional musicians when you listen to the music of Sutaras. The artists do not only play instruments - they also sing, dance and often draw their audience into the whirlwind of their performances. Every musician is adept at playing several different instruments, which allows the Band to be very diverse and to express the characteristic instrumental composition of Lithuania's different regions. During the 17 years of existence, the Folk Music Band Sutaras has participated in over 4,500 performances, which ranged from concerts, dances, and television and radio programs to performances at festivals, exhibitions, and other festivities. The music of Sutaras has resounded in many Lithuanian cities and villages. Sutaras has often performed for the patron of Vilnius' Stikliai pub as well as the restaurant Bočiai. Thousands applauded Sutaras at the 1991 PORTA festival in the Czech Republic, at the well-known Skagen festival of Denmark in 1992 and again in 1995, at Rudolstat, Germany in 1994, and at Mistelbach, Austria in 1995. The citizens of Washington, DC swirled in the waves of dancers while Sutaras played at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998, as did the onlookers in Queensland, Australia during the 1998 Woodford Folk Festival. The kings of Malaysia and Spain have heard the bellowing of LIthuanian instruments. Scores of people attended the performances of Sutaras at Expo 1998 in Lisabon and at the 2000 Expo in Hanover. Lithuanian melodies were heard live over the radio (during two-hour performances) by the citizens of the Netherlands, Australia, and by listeners of Euroradio, among others. Fans of Sutaras exist in many countries of the world and you will find Sutaras recordings in many prominent radio stations. The creative laboratory of Sutaras started on December 30, 1988, during its first performance for the staff of the Vilnius Central Department Store, and it has extended to far-off Australia, where on the precise date of the group's 10 year anniversary Sutaras performed on Australia's largest Woodford Folk Festival's Folkloric stage. This long road has continued through the various events of the reinstatement of Lithuanian independence, where Sutaras represented Lithuania during the most important national holidays in the highest-ranking gatherings. Many musicians have played in the group over these years. For some this was an apprenticeship - a chance to work on their art and gain experience. Others were our teachers. This road has not been easy, full of searching, loss, and triumphs. However, this has been OUR journey and we are proud of having traveled this distance to receive the highest honor: the attention and applause of our audience. It is very symbolic that Sutaras' 10th anniversary performance happened half-way arround the globe in Australia. This shows Sutaras' wide scope in making the sound of Lithuanian traditional musical culture famous.