On Thursday, May 8, the second Vilnius Spring Festival will kick off at the National Gallery of Art. It is a contemporary and bold music festival that pushes the boundaries of classical music. The festival, which will take place on four Thursday evenings in May, will invite you to listen to unexpected, lively and expressive musical encounters – from percussion innovations to anniversary evenings and jazz experiments.
This year's festival program pays special attention to For Baltic music and performers. Opening concert – this is a fresh rhythmic impulse that will be created Baltic Percussion Trio – three exceptional Baltic percussion masters – Andrius Rekašius (Lithuania), Guntaras Freibergs (Latvija) ir Heigo Rosino (Estonia) – an ensemble formed in 2023. After performances in Estonia and in Latvia, this spring they will present their program to the Lithuanian audience for the first time!
"This concert is a great opportunity to rediscover percussion. Here it is not only rhythm, but also melody, emotion, and unexpected combinations of sounds. This is a concert where classics meet modern expressiveness and where every sound becomes a story," says Nerijus Masevičius, the initiator of the festival.
The concert will feature works by contemporary composers from all three Baltic states. The program includes both original percussion opuses and arrangements of well-known works that reflect the region's sonic identity. "This is our first concert in Lithuania, so it is very important for us. The program will include both energetic and contemplative works - we want the audience to experience not only a sound impression, but also that indefinable feeling that comes when music really touches you," says Andrius Rekašius.
All three performers are prominent figures in the European music world: Guntars Freibergs – studied in Brussels and Linz, has performed in Lithuania many times, and is considered one of the strongest representatives of Latvian percussion. Heigo Rosin – the first Estonian percussionist to specialize in chamber music, having even performed at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York. Andrius Rekasius – The face of the Lithuanian contemporary music scene, actively creating and performing both in Lithuania and abroad.
This concert not only marks the beginning of the festival, but also opens a dialogue between the cultures of the Baltic States through the powerful yet subtle language of percussion. This concert invites you to welcome spring on the right bank of the Neris in a different way - modern, rhythmic, and lively.
Vilnius Spring Festival will take place on all four Thursdays in May at the National Art Gallery.
