Laura Budreckytė
Laura Budreckytė is a Lithuanian jazz vocalist, artist and vocal psychotherapist, co-founder of the “CinAmono” group and founder of “Vokologija”, a music therapy and voice exploration studio. Originally from Birštonas, she combines contemporary jazz, improvisation and subtle emotional expression, approaching the voice as an equal ensemble instrument and exploring its potential as a means of musical, emotional and personal expression.
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. I'm a Woman
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Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. I'm a Woman
George Gershwin. Fascinating Rhythm
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George Gershwin. Fascinating Rhythm
CinAmono Duo. Spring Leaves
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CinAmono Duo. Spring Leaves
music: Vytis Nivinskas; lyrics: Laura Budreckytė
Biography
Laura Budreckytė is a jazz vocalist, artist and vocal psychotherapist whose work brings together contemporary jazz language, improvisation, subtle vocal expression and a deep interest in the human voice.
Laura grew up in Birštonas, a resort town nestled in the loops of the Nemunas River and often referred to as Lithuania’s jazz mecca. She began making music in childhood and studied piano at the Birštonas School of Art. She later continued her studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, where in 2014 she earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Vocal Performance in the class of Assoc. Prof. Skirmantas Sasnauskas. She further developed her vocal practice at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and participated in masterclasses led by Bobby McFerrin, Jeff Cascaro, Brian Melwin, Rhiannon, Meredith Monk and Briony Greenhill.
Laura began participating in music competitions as a child and became a laureate of the Lithuanian national competition “Dainų dainelė” on several occasions. In 2012, she won the international vocal competition “Jazz Voices” and was recognised as the best performer of the free programme. In 2013, she received the Grand Prix at the international jazz vocal competition “Riga Jazz Stage”. As the winner, she performed at prestigious jazz stages and festivals, including “Pori Jazz” in Finland. She has also performed in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Bulgaria, the United States and at numerous music festivals in Lithuania.
A significant part of Laura’s artistic career is the group “CinAmono”, which she co-founded with bassist Vytis Nivinskas. The group has released three albums, in 2018, 2021 and 2024. In “CinAmono”, Laura approaches the voice as an equal ensemble instrument, combining melodic singing, improvisation, scat and nuanced vocal articulation. Alongside “CinAmono”, she has collaborated with the traditional jazz group “The Schwings”, the Kaunas Big Band, Andrej Polevikov, Andrea Centazzo and other Lithuanian and international musicians. She has also initiated the traditional jazz programme “Jazz & Laura”.
In 2025, Laura and pianist Andrejus Polevikovas released the musical publication “Proza pagal Rozą” for children, in which music and the poetry of Lithuanian poets come together to create a distinctive sonic narrative.
Another important area of Laura’s professional work is the voice as a means of self-expression and self-discovery. In 2020, she completed a Master’s degree in Music Therapy through a joint programme of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Vilnius University and founded “Vokologija”, a music therapy and voice exploration studio. From 2021 to 2023, Laura created and hosted the LRT Klasika radio programme “Teramuzika”, dedicated to arts therapies and their potential to support emotional and physical wellbeing. She also developed the publicly available voice exploration tool “Vokologija – pagalba sau balsu”.
In 2026, Laura completed the two-year postgraduate Austin Vocal Psychotherapy (AVPT) programme, taught by its founder, Dr. Diane Austin, and received a vocal psychotherapy certificate from the Music Psychotherapy Center in New York. This experience extends her long-standing interest in the voice and adds a therapeutic perspective to her musical practice.
Laura Budreckytė is currently active as a performer and creator, continuing her work with “CinAmono”, as well as her pedagogical and vocal psychotherapy practices. Across her artistic and professional work, music, voice and the human inner world come together as interconnected fields of exploration and self-expression.