On May 23, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society will host a choral gala, featuring renowned choirs from Switzerland and Lithuania performing a substantial choral music programme titled The Singing Might of the Baltics alongside the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO). The stage will be graced by Zurich Concert Choir (director and conductor André Fischer) and the State Choir Vilnius (artistic director and principal conductor Artūras Dambrauskas). The programme will be conducted by Maestro André Fischer (Switzerland).
The Singing Might of the Baltics brings together the most beautiful works by composers from across the Baltic region – opuses that convey the traditions of their respective countries through music while embodying the shared spirit of the Baltic region.
The concert programme will feature the most prominent works for choir and orchestra by Finnish, Norwegian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Danish, and Welsh composers, each of which evocatively tells a memorable story. The audience will hear compositions by Jean Sibelius, Edvard Grieg, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Arvo Pärt, Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, Carl Nielsen, and Karl Jenkins.
Performing forces will include well-known Lithuanian ensembles, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Vilnius Choir, as well as guests from Switzerland: the Zurich Concert Choir, famous for its exceptionally harmonious sound. The Swiss Choir is led by conductor André Fischer.
Maestro Fischer is regularly invited to conduct at Zurich’s renowned Tonhalle concert hall. His repertoire includes monumental works such as Johannes Brahms’s German Requiem, Franz Schubert’s Mass in A major and Mass in E-flat major, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s famous Requiem, and others.
For his visit to Lithuania, Fischer is also preparing works by two Lithuanian composers: M. K. Čiurlionis’ cantata De Profundis (From the Depths, based on Psalm 130) for choir and orchestra, and the second movement, As though time stands still from Ž. Martinaitytė’s Nunc fluens. Nunc stans for percussion and string orchestra.
The performing music by Lithuanian composers, which makes up a significant portion of the concert The Singing Might of the Baltics, is the forte of the Vilnius Choir. According to the Choir’s director, A. Dambrauskas, the promotion and performance of Lithuanian music have been the guiding principle of the Choir’s creative activities for the past 55 years.
Showcasing the choral cultures of both Zurich and Vilnius, this concert will symbolically extend the bond between the two cities. Choral music enthusiasts will likely remember the 2017 concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall, where two renowned boys’ choirs representing their respective countries came together on stage. The concert Singing Zurich Boys featured guests from Switzerland, the Zurich Boys’ Choir, and singers from the Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir, the initiators of the Swiss choir’s visit to Vilnius. This time, the audience will hear the harmonious blend of mature voices.
The concert Singing Might of the Baltics. LNSO, Zurich Concert Choir, Choir “Vilnius” will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 19.00 in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall. For the full program of the LNPhS 85th season please visit www.nationalphilharmonic.lt LNPhS 85th concert season is sponsored by NORFA.
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