As Christmas approaches, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society reminds itself and the audience of the motto For the Love of Music chosen for the 84th concert season and invites to celebrate the most beautiful holiday of the year with music by enjoying the concert series Christmas at the Philharmonic, assuring positive emotions. From gallant Italian concert Vivaldi Cantatas on 21st December to chamber music programme Three Kings’ Gifts on 5th January, a time of musical wonders will continue to be experienced by both loyal visitors and those who choose one of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society’s concerts for the first time during the festive season.
“We will offer a wide range of events, from baroque music and Christmas carols concerts to an evening of orchestral music with mystical theremin, so there will be plenty to choose from for audiences of all tastes and needs. All this for the love of music, which we eagerly want to share at Christmas. So welcome!” – Rūta Prusevičienė, Director General of the LNPhS, introduces the festive concerts.
On 21st December, the festive cycle at the Christmas-decorated Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society will open with guests from Italy – La Lira di Orfeo Baroque Music Ensemble and countertenor Raffaele Pe, visiting Lithuania for the first time. “Without a doubt, this is a baroque star”, wrote The Sunday Times about this soloist, who not only has performed around the world with many famous musicians, but also founded La Lira di Orfeo in 2015. Acclaimed internationally over several years of its existence, the ensemble of musicians, artists and scholars will present a programme of Vivaldi Cantatas in Vilnius.
During the festive season, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society will carry on the traditions that the listeners value so much that they arrange tickets for their favourite and highly anticipated concerts well in advance. These include the Christmas carols programme, initiated by the choir director Vytautas Miškinis and cherished for many years, featuring Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir and soloists (22nd December), the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra’s Christmas concert, where the orchestra will perform with its artistic director and soloist Sergej Krylov and the Norwegian cellist Sandra Lied Haga (28th December), the always-packed New Year’s Eve concerts (31st December) at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall, where the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and soloists will see off the old year with a musical firework, and at the Church of Sts Johns, where the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra will perform its traditional programme Farewell Symphony. Tickets for these concerts are already sold out, but those wishing to see off the old year with music can still choose the traditional New Year’s Eve concert of the Vilnius String Quartet, pianist Morta Grigaliūnaitė and double bassist Donatas Bagurskas, organised by the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society at the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History (31st December).
Christmas music-gift-seekers will be sure to check out three more festive concerts at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall: on 27th December, the modern and versatile Lithuanian Symphonic Wind Orchestra will surprise the audience with a programme featuring Katica Illényi, a Hungarian virtuoso of the little-known instrument, the theremin; on 29th December, the Čiurlionis Quartet and Italian harmonica virtuoso Gianluca Littera, one of the few soloists in the world performing classical, contemporary and jazz music on this instrument, will offer a colourful musical divertimento; last but not least, on 5th January, the Musica humana Ensemble, led by one of the finest oboe players in Lithuania, Robertas Beinaris, will perform the atmospheric programme Three Kings’ Gifts with soloists and the organist from the USA, Virginius Barkauskas.
For more information on the concerts of the LNPhS 84th season, please visit www.nationalphilharmonic.lt We invite you to take advantage of the season tickets offered this season and look forward to seeing you at the concerts! LNPhS 84th concert season is sponsored by NORFA.
LNPhS inf.
