Piano duos:
ZBIGNEVAS IBELHAUPTAS, RŪTA RIKTERĖ
YURII KOT, IRYNA ALEKSIYCHUK (Ukraine)
MIKALOJUS KONSTANTINAS ČIURLIONIS – Organ Preludes (two-piano arrangement by K. Grybauskas)
FERENC LISZT – Symphonic poem Preludes, S. 97 (two-piano arrangement)
ZITA BRUŽAITĖ – Urbs urbium (City of Cities), composed for Čiurlioniada (premiere)
MAURICE RAVEL – Waltz, M. 72 (two-piano arrangement)
MIKALOJUS KONSTANTINAS ČIURLIONIS – Miške (In the Forest) (two-piano arrangement by J. Aleksa)
IRYNA ALEKSIYCHUK – Suite based on N. Gogol’s novel Viy; Concert fantasy On the Night of Ivan Kupala
Two distinguished piano duos – Rūta Rikterė and Zbignevas Ibelhauptas, and Yurii Kot and Iryna Aleksiychuk – present an engaging and stylistically diverse programme. The evening of piano music is dedicated to Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. The programme features his symphonic poem Miške (In the Forest) and some rarely performed organ preludes. The audience will have the opportunity to experience how Čiurlionis’ music sounds in the context of his contemporaries Ferenc Liszt and Maurice Ravel, whose 150th birthday is being celebrated around the world this year. There will also be the premiere of composer Zita Bružaitė’s new work Urbs urbium (City of Cities). According to the composer, the idea for the work came from Čiurlionis’ cities, as seen in his paintings.
The highlight of the evening will be original compositions by Iryna Aleksiychuk, namely a suite based on Ukrainian writer Nikolai Gogol’s short story Vyi (The Ghost), which features Ukrainian folklore motifs and mythical characters in episodes evoking horror and suspense.
Rūta Rikterė and Zbignevas Ibelhauptas are one of the most prominent and accomplished piano duos in Lithuania, actively performing since 1989. Both pianists are prize winners of the M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition (1982) and professors at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. As recipients of the National Culture and Arts Prize, they consistently nurture the tradition of the piano duo genre, regularly presenting exceptional programmes and premiering works by many Lithuanian and foreign composers.
Yurii Kot and Iryna Aleksiychuk are a Ukrainian piano duo that has gained international recognition and has been performing since 1983. The performers are prize winners of international competitions and among the most prominent interpreters of works for piano duo by Ukrainian composers. Both pianists are professors at the National Music Academy in Kyiv, have been awarded the L. Revutsky Prize by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, and are recognized as distinguished artists of Ukraine.
Information from Centre for International Cultural Projects
Concert partner – Centre for International Cultural Projects
