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The International M. K. Čiurlionis Music Festival begins its Vilnius season with a world premiere – a composition by Mindaugas Urbaitis, specially composed for this evening, to be performed by one of the world’s most famous trumpeters Ole Edvard Antonsen, the renowned pianist Aleksandra Žvirblytė, and the Vilnius City Ensemble NICO, which led by the founder, conductor and composer Gediminas Gelgotas has conquered the world’s stages.

The Norwegian trumpeter Antonsen, already well known to the Lithuanian audience, composes and performs his music all over the world. The trumpeter’s creative friendship with G. Gelgotas and NICO began in 2016 at the Festspillene i Elverum festival, which brings together music stars from around the world. After tremendously successful performances their collaboration has continued to this day, with more than 20 concerts in Norway and Lithuania, including performance for the Queen of Norway, Sonja. On 14 November, the tandem will appear at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall.

The concert programme reflects the wide range of Antonsen’s artistic interests. The first half of the concert will feature compositions for trumpet and strings from Baroque composers to Arvo Pärt. In the world premiere of Mindaugas Urbaitis’ work the trumpeter will be joined by pianist Aleksandra Žvirblytė, G. Gelgotas and NICO. “In the new work dedicated to Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, as in the previous one, I draw on fragments of his musical creativity in order to reflect the characteristic features of his work in various artistic spheres, stemming from the experiences of his childhood and youth, as well as from his impressions of nature,” says Urbaitis.

The second half of the concert will reveal Antonsen as a composer and improviser, featuring G. Gelgotas’ most memorable works as well as the trumpeter’s compositions in the mystical style and improvisations, which he will perform with the Looper Pedals.