About

For decades, over the course of generations, the Orchestra of the Accordion Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LAMT), known as a group, that does not shy away from innovation and experimentation, has been gathering students to make music together.

The world accordion specialists call Vilnius the Accordion Center not without reason. Indeed, the teachers of the LMTA Accordion Department are constantly ‘keeping a finger on the pulse’.

Students of the Accordion Department regularly participate in prestigious international competitions, both solo and in ensembles, winning high prizes and awards, and are active participants in various festivals and international projects. In 2024, the accordion program at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater celebrated its 65th anniversary, and the LAMT Accordion Department – its 10th anniversary.

In the accordion orchestra, students develop their skills in orchestral-collective music-making. The orchestral playing tradition has been alive since the accordion subject was established at the LAMT in 1959. The first director and conductor was Associate Professor Vaclovas Furmanavičius, and later the accordion orchestra was led by Prof. Ričardas Sviackevičius. Students of the Accordion Department who have chosen to specialize in conducting have excellent opportunities to work with the orchestra in preparing programs. The orchestra is a regularly performing ensemble with repertoire embracing both modern and classical works, as well as concert opuses, with no shortage of tango or jazz.

The orchestra leaders and conductors of this concert are accordionists who are very active in representing Lithuanian performing arts in Lithuania and abroad. Raimondas Sviackevičius is a broad-minded musician who is intellectually and devotedly forging the stature of his instrument, boldly crossing the boundaries of musical genres and repertoires with his programs, and participating in important contemporary music projects. In addition to his creative and pedagogical activities (he is a Professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and head of the Accordion Department), Sviackevičius also organizes most accordion events.

Tadas Motiečius, a winner of more than 30 competitions in Lithuania and various foreign countries, is a teacher at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He has performed in concert halls from Tallinn to the USA and Australia, participated in a travelling international orchestra project and a concert tour of Europe. He is a regular performer not only in concerts, but also on theatre stage, as well as in innovative chamber, contemporary, jazz and vocal music projects.

The vibrant accordion fiesta at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall will feature the most varied, original and arranged music for accordion. The virtuosos of the younger generation invite you to discover the possibilities of the accordion and to enjoy the vital energy, nostalgic melodies and rhythms that will make you jump out of your chairs!