LMTA Symphony Orchestra will give a concert in Riga
On November 22nd, The LMTA Symphony orchestra, headed by the well-known Lithuanian conductor Martynas Staškus, will give a concert at the Latvian Music Academy in Riga. LMTA Orchestra will perform a solid program at the Grand Hall of the Academy. Programme will be centered on the emblematic works of the Lithuanian music classics, composer Eduardas Balsys (1919–1984).
The Orchestra will also perform 7th Symphony by Jean Sibelius and „Retro Concerto“ for piano and string orchestra by contemporary Lithuanian composer Zita Bružaitė. Soloists of the event – talented violinists Klementina Venciūtė, Agnė Pilkauskaitė, Marija Pranskutė and cellist Davidas Dumčius, students of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, as well as young pianist from Costa Rica – David Francisco Salinas Andrade.
The LMTA Symphony orchestra will also give concerts at the Molėtai Culture Center (Inturkės 4, Molėtai) on November 21st and at the LAMT Great Hall (Gedimino Ave. 42, Vilnius) on November 23rd.
The LMTA Symphony orchestra is an ever-young collective where students of the Academy play. The orchestra exists since 1953, its first leader and conductor was Prof. Jurgis Fledžinskas. In different periods of the life of the orchestra such internationally acclaimed figures as Prof. Juozas Domarkas, Prof. Gintaras Rinkevičius, Assoc. Prof. Robertas Šervenikas were artistic directors and principal conductors of this LMTA collective. Since 2012, the orchestra has been directed by conductor Martynas Staškus.
According to Martynas Staškus: „To direct an ever-changing and renewing collective is a great challenge. The LMTA symphony orchestra is a never-ending process whose main aim is to train professional orchestra musicians who are not afraid of artistic challenges by preparing interesting and attractive programmes“.
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Artistic biography of the LMTA Symphony Orchestra is also decorated with collaborations with such masters of 20th century as Saulius Sondeckis, Jonas Aleksa, Prof. Joseph Wallnig (Austria), Olga Geczy and René Müller (Switzerland), Georg Mais (Germany), cellist and conductor Davidas Geringas, maestros Modestas Barkauskas, Modestas Pitrėnas and many others.
The orchestra has toured in Austria, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia and Germany. LMTA collective has also participated in various international festivals, such as Usedomer Musikfest, „Young Euro Classic“, where in 2002 in Berlin together with maestro Davidas Geringas premiered „Concerto in Do“ by Anatolijus Šenderovas. Musicians of the orchestra are also active participans of the Baltic Youth Symphony Orchestra, joint orchestra of Baltic and Nordic countries, Orchestra of the Stuttgart International Bach Academy, and many other international collectives.
On November 22nd LMTA Symphony Orchestra will perform a program featuring the magnificent 7th Symphony in C minor by Jean Sibelius, as well as three large-format works of Lithuanian modern music classic – Eduardas Balsys.
E. Balsys (1919–1984), whose centenary is mentioned in Lithuania this year, is one of the most prominent Lithuanian composers, who made huge influence on Lithuanian music in the middle and second half of the 19th century, infusing Beethovenian dramatism and post-romantic expression into it. E. Balsys was also the founder of the Lithuanian School of Composition (alongside Julius Juzeliūnas). Almost every work of E. Balsys became an event in Lithuanian musical culture.
The concert of the LMTA Symphony Orhcestra will feature opuses by E. Balsys of three different periods. It is a poem for string orchestra „Reflections of the Sea“ (1981), created at the end of the life; a youthful energy-filled First Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A Minor (1954); and two fragments of one of the most popular Lithuanian ballets „Eglė, the Queen of the Grass-Snakes“ which, according to musicologist Ona Narbutienė, marked the composer‘s path to maturity, and a new language of music.
It is interesting that three different violinists – Klementina Venciūtė, Agnė Pilkauskaitė and Marija Pranskutė – will perform three parts of the Violin Concerto. We will also hear cellist Deividas Dumčius performing the fragments of „Eglė, The Queen of the Grass-Snakes“, arranged by Deividas Geringas for cello and string orchestra. While Zita Bružaitė‘s „Retro Concerto“ for Piano and Strings (2005) will be performed by pianist David Francisco Salinas Andrade from Costa Rica.
LAMT information
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