THE ACADEMY ORGANIZED AN IMPRESSIVE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION “ARTS SQUARE”
On 3 June in Lukiškių Square, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre organised an impressive birthday celebration open to the public. The year of 2023 is special for the Academy – the major and largest higher school of music, theatre, dance, and film in Lithuania and the Baltic states has turned 90 years old!
On this occasion, one of Vilnius’ main public spaces located just in front of the LMTA Central building was transformed into Arts Square: here, from 4 pm, everyone was welcome to enjoy music, theatre, and dance performances and film screenings by the Academy’s talented students, charismatic teachers, and renowned graduates.
Lukiškių Square and its neighbouring areas were turned into several venues for various performances: in the square, two stages for music and theatre performances, and a space for a dance performance were installed; electronic music was played from the balcony of the LMTA Central building, while short films were shown in the adjacent Aukų Street, and the part of Gediminas Avenue closer to the Academy’s building invited to multiple audio and video installations.
The celebration was opened on the big stage by the performance of the LMTA Wind and Percussion Orchestra and the LMTA Brass Ensemble Brass LT (directed by Prof. Dr. Robertas Beinaris, Assoc. Prof. Egidijus Ališauskas, Assoc. Prof. Rimvydas Savickas, Remigijus Vilys, and Linas Rupšlaukis). Distinguished tenor, LMTA graduate Rafailas Karpis was appear on the stage. The listeners also admired charismatic opera soloist, Assoc. Prof. Ieva Prudnikovaitė with the LMTA Accordion Orchestra (directed by Prof. Raimondas Sviackevičius and Tadas Motiečius), the LMTA Accordion Trio UnSeen, and the performance was accompanied by tango dancers Assoc. Prof. Dr. Brigita Rodriguez and Carlos Rodriguez. The LMTA Folk Instrument Orchestra (directed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aistė Bružaitė and Assoc. Prof. Egidijus Ališauskas) accompanied soprano Asta Krikščiūnaitė, a winner of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Art, and an LMTA professor. The Cello Orchestra of the LMTA Department of String Instruments (directed by Prof. Rimantas Armonas) prepared a special surprise for the audience: 44 cellists appeared on the stage!
Arts Square also featured soloists of the Opera Studio of the LMTA Department of Vocal Performance (conductor – Assoc. Prof. Martynas Staškus, stage director – Assoc. Prof. Jūratė Sodytė-Bradauskienė) – they performed finale scene of the opera Le Nozze di Figaro by W. A. Mozart; students of the Department of Acting and Directing (directed by Prof. Viktorija Kuodytė and Prof. Darius Meškauskas); graduating students of the Theatre Department of the Klaipėda Faculty (supervisors – Prof. Valentinas Masalskis, Assoc. Prof. Nijolė Sinkevičiūtė-Kriūnienė). LMTA professor Aidas Giniotis performed with his colleagues from the Keistuoliai Theatre, actors Ilona Balsytė and Darius Auželis. The audience also enjoyed the songs performed by LMTA graduate, actor Saulius Bareikis.
A dance venue, specially equipped for the celebration, showed a performance Wreck – List of Extinct Species (choreographer Pietro Marullo, composer Jean Noël Boissé, producer Be kompanijos) by the LMTA Department of Dance and Movement. Towards the evening, the guests could enjoy a real party to be thrown on the big stage by jazz bands Quark Effect and SynthEtika.
In addition to performances by bigger bands, the smaller stage will feature DJ Iggy Shaolin, percussionist Lukas Budzinauskas, while Migluma & Vecera, Robotic Folk, El Chico Fuendre, and Maria Paskevic were playing their electronic music from the balcony of the LMTA Central Building. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the LMTA Department of Film and Television, which this year celebrates the 30th anniversary of its establishment, showed short films in the cinema space (Aukų Street, next to the LMTA Central building).
Arts Square, the celebration of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre’s anniversary was impressive!
LMTA information
7 June 2023
Photos from the Arts Aquare, photographers Mantas Bartaševičius, Povilas Jarmala, and Donatas Ališauskas (all pictures are published in the photography blog):
