YOUR OWN VOICE

The theme of LAI SKAN! 2027

“Each of us has our own voice — a unique timbre, its own colours and possibilities we may not even know exist. I believe vocal technique is not about making us sound like someone else. It is the key to unlocking the world of our own voice. And the most exciting part begins when we dare to explore it.”

Laura Bulava
Opera Singer, Vocal Coach, Founder and Director of the Liepājas vocal arts studio “Stari“

YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE.

Every day, we are surrounded by hundreds of other voices — in music, on social media, on stage and in everyday life. We listen, find inspiration, learn and sometimes unconsciously try to sound like someone else.

Yet each of us already has a voice with its own unmistakable timbre. Our own unique code.

Musical education and vocal technique help us develop that voice, but their purpose is not to make us sound like someone else. Technique should give us the freedom to discover the natural possibilities of our own voice.

That is why we have chosen “YOUR OWN VOICE” as the theme of LAI SKAN! 2027 — an invitation for young singers to explore their instrument, trust it and embrace their unique sound.

DISCOVER WHAT YOUR VOICE CAN DO.

The human voice is an instrument whose possibilities can sometimes surprise even the singer.

An unexpectedly wide vocal range. A new timbre. A different vocal colour. Sometimes, all it takes is one courageous attempt to discover something we never even knew was possible.

We want children not only to learn how to produce sound correctly, but also to experience the joy of discovery. To dare to experiment, explore different musical styles and search for new sounds.

Healthy vocal technique is the foundation of this freedom, not a limitation.

Because sometimes the greatest obstacle is not what our voice can do, but the limits we place on it ourselves.

SHOW YOUR VOICE.

A song may have been sung hundreds of times. But your performance can only be yours.

We encourage young performers and their teachers to choose repertoire that truly reveals each singer's vocal possibilities, timbre and musical personality.

It may not always be the most popular song or the most familiar melody. Perhaps it will be a more challenging composition, an unexpected musical style or a piece that another singer would never have chosen.

At LAI SKAN!, we value not only vocal technique and precision, but also interpretation, musical choices and individuality.

We want the spacious hall of the Liepāja Latvian Society House to be filled with such diverse and confident young voices that it feels as though the entire city centre is resonating with music!

And we hope every participant leaves the stage with an even greater desire to continue discovering what their voice can do.

LEAVE YOUR MARK IN LIEPĀJA.

A competition can be more than performing, receiving scores and waiting for results.

Music is a special language that connects children and young people, regardless of where they live, what language they speak or what kind of music they sing.

We want LAI SKAN! to be a place where young singers not only compete, but also meet, collaborate and create something together.

That is why, on competition day, participants will have the opportunity to take part in a shared creative process. Each person, through their voice, an idea or a small musical contribution, will become part of something greater.

At the beginning of the day, it will be almost empty. By the end, it will have become a collective creation that no single participant could have made alone.

What will it look and sound like? You'll find out in Liepāja.

HEAR YOUR OWN VOICE AMONG OTHERS.

Having your own voice doesn't mean being the loudest.

It means knowing your instrument, understanding what you want to express through it and being able to preserve your musical individuality among many other voices.

We believe that a strong vocal ensemble is made up of strong musical personalities. Not one or two soloists with everyone else following behind, but singers who can each perform independently while truly listening to one another.

Because individuality and harmony are not opposites.

When different, confident voices come together, they can create something that none of them could achieve alone.

And that is exactly what we want LAI SKAN! to be — a place where every voice matters, where differences enrich the collective sound and where no one has to become a copy of someone else.

Show your voice.
Leave your mark.
Hear your own voice among others.