This summer, the wonderful Lithuanian resort of Neringa will host the traditional summer chamber music festival Curonian Spit, organised by the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society and the Municipality of Neringa for the 27th time. The festival will follow the idea that has been cherished since its inception – to present to holidaymakers and tourists coming to the seaside the outstanding works of composers of past epochs as well as contemporary composers of the Baltic region. Eight programmes will be presented in Nida, Juodkrantė and Pervalka from August 5 to September 6, two of them will be performed both in Nida and Juodkrantė.

The programmes of the Curonian Spit festival, professionally performed by excellent musicians, receive special attention from the audience and good reviews from critics. “Just like every year, the 27th Curonian Spit festival will feature a lot of wonderful, expressive and adventurous music,” says Robertas Beinaris, the artistic director of the festival and its orchestra.

The International Summer Festival of Chamber Music, once initiated by Musica Humana Ensemble and Prof. Algirdas Vizgirda, and now under the direction of Prof. Beinaris, has become a traditional and important highlight of the cultural panorama of the seaside region.

“Musicians, painters, sculptors, architects, writers and poets have always travelled to Neringa, a charming land created by nature, and I have no doubt they will continue to do so. This stretch of land with its magnificent peculiarity, separating the sea from the lagoon, attracts everyone, as if it encoded a transcendent energy that brings us closer to Eternity,” said the festival’s founder and its artistic director for many years, Professor Vizgirda.

The current artistic director of the festival, Prof. Beinaris, continuing the festival’s traditions, confirms and enhances this idea: “The 27th Chamber Music Festival Curonian Spit is distinguished not only by its rich programme, but also by its spirit – it is one of the few music events in Lithuania where art and nature merge into a seamless harmony. Here, the silence of the pine forests and the proximity of the sea become an inseparable part of the concerts – here, music sounds differently, blending naturally into the unique environment. The festival audience is a permanent partner, a member of the ensemble, a conscious culture seeker who comes here not only to relax and unwind, but also to listen to marvellous music. The festival values quality and a real connection between performer and listener – here music becomes a dialogue, and each concert becomes a shared artistic journey. The audience often includes artists, thinkers, cultural travellers, families who return year after year. Each concert becomes like a cosy gathering, where the distance between the performers and the audience dissolves. The festival’s programme also remains faithful to quality and artistic curiosity. The music ranges from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary music premieres and educational projects. The festival invites not only to listen, but also to experience – to discover new composers, unexpected interpretations, and the relationship between music and the environment. It is a space of deep listening, where classical music unfolds not only in concert halls, but also among the pines, on the dunes, by the lagoon, under the vaults of old churches. This environment imbues music with a new meaning – every sound here takes on a spatial resonance in nature, every moment of silence merges with the sound of the wind or the sea. The Curonian Spit is like a respite from everyday life. The festival becomes a cultural beacon that invites people not only to hear music but also feel it.”

According to the long-standing tradition of the festival, the main performer is the Musica Humana Chamber Music Ensemble, resident ensemble of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, which grows into an orchestra during the festival. The event’s programmes feature a wide range of instrumentalists, solo vocalists and ensembles.   

The opening of the festival at the Nida Community House on August 5 will feature Musica Humana Orchestra and soloists performing the programme Angel’s Breath, including works by Henry Purcell, Ennio Morricone, Antonio Vivaldi, Geraldo Finzi and other composers. The thread of Vivaldi’s music will run through to the next programme of the festival, Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Its two concerts featuring Musica Humana Orchestra conducted by Beinaris, soloists Asta Krikščiūnaitė (soprano), Inga Kuizinaitė, Ramunė Grakauskaitė, Toma Bandzaitytė-Puplauskė and Marija Pranskutė (violins) will take place on August 6 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Juodkrantė and on August 8 at the Nida Community House.

On 9 August, the terrace of the King Mindaugas Vocational Training Centre in Pervalka will be the venue for the Orchestra and flutist Ieva Kuprevičiūtė’s performance of works by Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ennio Morricone and other composers in the programme Summer Music.

Observing the Year of Čiurlionis, the festival will honour the memory of the genius of our nation. On  August 12 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Juodkrantė and on August 13 at the Nida Community House the programme Chant to Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis – 150 will be performed by the Festival Orchestra and soloists Dovilė Kazonaitė (soprano), Ieva Kuprevičiūtė (flute), Sonata Alšauskaitė (piano) and Motiejus Bazaras (Ondes Martenot). 

On August 14, the audience will be invited to be part of a premiere held in the Liudvikas Rėza Cultural Centre Concert Hall in Juodkrantė. The filmed opera Neringa will be screened. The premiere of the opera-triptych Neringa (Sea, Dunes, Pines) took place in 2021 at the festival Curonian Spit. It is a historical opera about the land of the Curonian Spit, which has left a strong imprint on Lithuanian culture. Its music was composed by three composers, Vaida Striaupaitė-Beinarienė, Loreta Narvilaitė and Algirdas Martinaitis.

Traditionally, the celebration of Assumption of Mary is held on August 15. The Orchestra and soloists will offer a concert Assumption of Mary.“Reed Songs”. Programme includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Saulius Šiaučiulis, August Klughardt and others.

On August 16, Giunter Percussion Ensemble will heat up the festival with fiery rhythms. The outdoor stage of Liudvikas Rėza Cultural Centre in Juodkrantė will host the programme Festival’s Music Beacon, Suspiring Rhythms with oboist Beinaris. 

The 27th Curonian Spit will close with a colourful instrumental music concert L’Horloge de Flore (Flower Clock), featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Jean Françaix and Darius Milhaud. Musica Humana Orchestra will share the stage with soloists Zbignevas Ibelhauptas (piano), Rūta Rikterė (piano), Robertas Beinaris (oboe) and Rimvydas Savickas (clarinet).

All information about the events of the Curonian Spit Festival is available on the website www.nationalphilharmonic.lt Tickets to the concerts can be purchased online at kakava.lt and www.nationalphilharmonic.lt , as well as at kakava.lt box offices.

LNPhS inf.