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The strings salute Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis on his birthday! This special afternoon concert, dedicated to the 149th anniversary of Čiurlionis’ birth, offers an original insight into the work of the genius.

The project initiated a few years ago by harpist Joana Daunytė made it possible to hear Čiurlionis’ music in harp sounds for the first time in the history of music, and the CD Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. On the Harp Strings was recorded (Naxos). The guitar arrangements of the great Lithuanian artist and composer’s piano music is a project realised by another young, talented musician, guitarist Rokas Jurkus. Its digital sheet music edition is available worldwide with the support of the Lithuanian Music Information Centre. Appreciated for his sensitive musicianship and intriguing programmes, Jurkus, a graduate of Ecole supérieure musique et danse de Lille (France), is active as a soloist and chamber music performer. For this concert, the guitarist has produced several arrangements of songs by Čiurlionis, and for guitar and string quartet he has adapted composer Mindaugas Urbaitis’ Ramybė (Stillness), inspired by Čiurlionis’ painting. This is yet another link between contemporary music and the art of Čiurlionis in tonight’s programme, where, in addition to the guitar, the audience will also hear works performed by the admired Čiurlionis Quartet.

One of the composers featured in Quartet’s programme is Salomon Jadassohn, a German composer little-known to the Lithuanian music lovers. Jadassohn taught at the Leipzig Conservatoire, and among his students was Čiurlionis. Another gift for Čiurlionis’ birthday is the latest work for string quartet by the composer, highly respected for his incidental music (the play Liudijimai (Testimonies), the ballet Pradžioje nebuvo nieko (In the Beginning There Was Nothing), the music for the MO exhibition Vilnius Poker, etc.) and painter Antanas Jasenka. “When composing, I use the laws of “balance” that I have developed. I do not abandon the Baltic modes, rhythmic ostinato. I always associate ostinato with discipline. This is probably the most important principle for staying alive both spiritually and physically in the face of the threat of war. Moreover, repetition is also associated with the sign of infinity”, says the composer. Although the work is not directly related to Čiurlionis, Jasenka admitted that he is strongly influenced by Čiurlionis’ paintings, which he tries to convey in his music.