About

The concert is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Polish Institute in Vilnius. This institution promotes Polish culture in Lithuania, consequently enriching Lithuanian cultural life. The Polish Institute in Vilnius was established on the basis of the Treaty on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourly Cooperation between Poland and Lithuania and began its activities on 1 February 1996. The Institute pursues links between Polish and Lithuanian cultures, most of which are found in a historical context. 

Tonight, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Modestas Pitrėnas shares the stage with Polish piano virtuoso Rafał Blechacz, admired for his ability to masterfully reveal the entire range of piano expression. His path to fame was paved by his victory in the International Chopin Piano Competition 2005, where he won not only the gold medal, but also four special prizes as well as the audience prize. For tonight’s performance, the pianist chose Chopin’s First concerto for piano and orchestra in E minor, Op. 11; composed in 1830, this opus is characterized by maturity and emotional depth.

New York-based composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė wrote her work Nunc fluens. Nunc stans for percussion and string orchestra in 2020. The title comes from Boethius’ Latin phrase ‘Nunc fluens facit tempus. Nunc stans facit aeternitatum,’ which translates into English as ‘The now that passes produces time, the now that remains produces eternity’. It is a diptych, the two movements of which are performed without interruption, the first reflecting flowing time and the second standing time. The concert will conclude with Richard Strauss’ elegiac poem Metamorphosen (Metamorphoses) for 23 strings, composed in Vienna in the final weeks of WWII.