About

Having celebrated its 55th anniversary last year, Čiurlionis Quartet, recipient of the National Prize for Culture and Art, this time performs with a group of talented string players and Florence Sitruk, a famous German and French harpist, returning to the Lithuanian stage after a break.

Hailed as “one of the best in her field” and performing all over the world, she was the first harpist to be chosen to represent Germany in the Eurovision Young Musicians Contest in Brussels organised by the European Broadcasting Union. She also founded the Elias Parish Alvars Festival in the virtuoso’s hometown of Teignmouth (England), held annually in conjunction with a youth competition. Sitruk is the artistic director of several prestigious festivals, jury member of competitions, recipient of national and international prizes (Paris, Brussels, Indiana University, etc.), including 1st prize at the Rome International Valentino Bucchi Competition for her performance of works by 20th century composers. Her repertoire is particularly focused on 20th and 21st century music, which she promotes with dedication and creativity, initiating exceptional concerts all over the world and playing in Lithuania on many occasions.

In tandem with Čiurlionis Quartet, the harpist performs opuses of exceptional beauty, including the Lithuanian premiere of Concertino for harp and strings, Op.34, by Elias Parish Alvarez, an English harpist and composer of the romantic era (the great Hector Berlioz called him a “magician”), little-known in Lithuania.

Čiurlionis Quartet will be joined by Più Quartet, a newly-formed ensemble, in masterpieces by the great early 20th-century composers George Enescu and Arnold Schoenberg, immersing the audience in a mysterious and enchanting realm of colours of the harp and strings.