Exhibition “The Memory of the City: Jonas Jučas and Jazzing Kaunas”
Kauno rotušė
10 €
If a city were a melody, what would it sound like? Each era has given Kaunas its own distinctive sound. During the interwar period, popular songs were played on small stages; during the Soviet era, estrada music and big beat reigned supreme; and following the restoration of independence, the city was swept up in the free and bold rhythms of jazz. In the 1990s, Kaunas was dubbed the “capital of pop”, but eventually came to be known as a city of jazz. The central figure of this exhibition, Jonas Jučas, played a significant part in this transformation.
Having started playing music as a child, J. Jučas led amateur music groups, played at dances and weddings, composed music, and worked as a music teacher. He later directed musical programmes at several restaurants and served as chief administrator of the Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Kaunas Philharmonic. These experiences ultimately led him to the most significant achievement of his life – the Kaunas Jazz International Jazz Festival, which opened a new chapter in the city’s cultural life. J. Jučas’s activities subsequently expanded even further, from teaching at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and working for Kaunas City Municipality to serving as a Member of the Seimas and Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.
Yet however his professional roles changed, music remained a constant throughout J. Jučas’s life. It has also become the leitmotif of this exhibition. Personal belongings, photographs and festival memorabilia reveal different stages of his life. Together, they tell the story of the realities of musicians’ lives during the Soviet era, the challenges of the early years of independence, and the changing musical landscape of Kaunas.
To hear these stories told by J. Jučas himself, scan the NFC tags on the display stand. The exhibition is complemented by a route through the city, which you can find in the “City Guide” section of the museum’s app.
Exhibition curators: Deimantė Kondrotaitė, Jonas Jučas
Exhibition curator and coordinator: Lina Mikalkėnaitė
Audio editing: Andrius Mackevičius
Editor: Austė Vilimienė
Translation: UAB “Vertimų karaliai”
Exhibition partner: Public Institution JJJAZZ