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The Vilnius String Quartet (VSQ) and accordionist Tadas Motiečius invite to spend Sunday afternoon listening to chamber music that is both popular and completely unknown to many.

VSQ first violin Dalia Kuznecovaitė on the programme: “It is no coincidence that we chose works by Ukrainian and Polish composers for this concert. The last few years have shown how strong the bond between Lithuanians and these nations is in the face of war, and how powerful unity and loyalty to true values can be. Everyone is probably familiar with Mykola Leontovych’s popular Christmas melody Shchedryk, which is quoted in Ukrainian composer Dmytro Klebanov’s String quartet, dedicated to the memory of Leontovych. Klebanov’s opus, a real gem imbued with Ukrainian folklore, will surely enchant every listener. The concert soloist Tadas Motiečius suggested the Concerto for accordion and strings by Polish composer Mikołaj Majkusiak. This innovative work, rarely heard in Lithuania, was originally written for accordion and string orchestra, but at Tadas’ request, the composer reworked it for accordion and string quartet. For us, this Concerto is a kind of ‘breakout’ from the traditional framework of classical music and an opportunity to get acquainted with the contemporary music opus of our neighbour.”

The renowned 20th-century Argentine composer Ástor Piazzolla fundamentally changed the traditional concept of tango, enriching this dance with elements of jazz and classical music, and is therefore considered the founder of the tango nuevo style and the most famous Argentine musician. In his homeland, he is known as ‘El Gran Ástor’ (The Great Ástor). The concert will feature his Concierto para quinteto (Concerto for Quintet) and a cycle of four tangos, Estaciones Porteñas (The Seasons of Buenos Aires), for accordion and strings.