Vilnius Festival 2011
VILNIUS FESTIVAL 2011
15th festival
31 May – 14 June, 2011
It is for the fifteenth year in a row that the Vilnius Festival heralds the coming of summer both in our country and its capital city. From the very first edition of our festival we have attempted to create a festivity that would stir or even stun our audiences; that would come as a surprise each time and answer the meaning and essence of the word ‘festivus.’
I think we have been successful thus far. I believe we will succeed this time as well.
In fifteen years we had a chance to hear and see so many greats of the musical world perform at the Vilnius Festival. It has been a meeting point for the legendary violinist and conductor, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Polish composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki with our soloists and orchestras; our featured jazz musicians drew huge and appreciative crowds to the largest concert venues one could find around the city. Maestro Riccardo Muti still recalls his visit to Vilnius, even though it took place more than a decade ago... In the past few years the Vilnius Festival has become somewhat leaner but definitely not meaner. Our quality standards are as high as ever.
This year, as ever, we will regale our audiences with the programme packed with the towering figures of the musical world and their exquisite performances of the finest musical works. The festival offers seven carefully devised events, each of a slightly different profile in terms of both the programme and the performers. But what stands out from the previous editions is the abundance of 20th and 21st century music, which is a new and noteworthy feature.
I invite you to open the gate to the summer and to immerse into the feast of music, promising a host of new experiences!
Gintautas Kėvišas,
Director of the Vilnius Festival