About

A special guest of the concert is a talented young conductor of Ukrainian descent, Yaroslav Shemet, who has been gracing the conductor’s podium since the age of thirteen. He is the artistic director of the Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice and the music director of the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk. Orchestras such as the Staatstheater Braunschweig and Sinfonia Varsovia, among others, follow his baton; he has conducted in prestigious venues ranging from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg to the Grand Theatre in Shanghai, as well as at festivals in Bayreuth, Munich, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. The maestro’s repertoire embraces symphonic music, opera productions, as well as contemporary scores and even jazz projects. In this concert with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the conductor presents opuses by composers from his dearest countries – Ukraine and Poland – who also have ties to Lithuania. 

The renowned Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko spent his most creative period in Vilnius, where he composed and premiered his most famous opera, Halka. The connection with Borys Lyatoshynsky, considered the father of modern Ukrainian music, was initiated by composer Osvaldas Balakauskas, who studied with Prof. Lyatoshynsky at the Kyiv Conservatory and participated in an artistic movement seeking inspiration in Western modernist music. Lyatoshynsky’s Third symphony (composed in 1950–1954), to be performed at the concert, was attacked by fierce Soviet censors as being too modern; the composer subsequently sank into melancholy, once even writing: “I am dead as a composer and do not know when I will rise again...” Now this symphony, subtitled Peace Will Defeat War, is more relevant than ever. 

The concert will feature a solo performance by Aleksandra Žvirblytė, one of the most versatile artists in Lithuania, performing as a soloist, with orchestras, and delivering various chamber music programmes. Her desire not to limit herself solely to the role of a classical pianist has led her to venture into jazz and projects that blend various musical styles, which she successfully performs with her colleagues not only in Lithuanian concert halls but also around the world. Among numerous accolades from Lithuania and abroad, the pianist has been awarded the Golden Cross by the President of Poland and a diploma from the Polish Minister of Culture for her active work in promoting and preserving the legacy of Fryderyk Chopin. Thus, with Žvirblytė as soloist, the programme, symbolizing musical bridges between neighbouring countries, is highlighted by the Piano concerto No. 2 by this Polish and global genius, the composer of immortal works for the piano.