Opera soloist Edgars Montvidas can be found more and more often in the capital In the old town, where he bought a home a few years ago. The tenor, who has called London his home for the last twenty years, admits that the smallness, peace and slowness of Vilnius attracts him more and more. "I'm one-legged from Vilnius," he says half-jokingly, half-seriously.
"I don't want to scratch anymore. 2024 marks twenty-five years of being on the professional stage. I have already done a lot, achieved, survived. Now I would like to work calmly, without much stress", admits the opera singer from Lithuania who has made an impressive career.
The desire to live more quietly, from the constant hustle and bustle of London, increasingly brings him to the calm of Vilnius or to an even quieter mountain cabin in France. Until recently, there was no internet and almost no mobile connection. "But they built a giant antenna and civilization came to the valley. It was so good when there was no Internet, but as soon as the opportunity arose, of course, the Internet immediately appeared in the cabin," the tenor laughs and wonders when asked which of the three places he calls home now.
"I say that I travel by the golden triangle: from a loft in London, to an apartment in Vilnius, or to my cabin in the mountains. "I used to be sure that London was home, but now, well, all three places are home in a way," he reflects.
The famous tenor often comes to Lithuania spontaneously. The last time he stopped by for just a few days - he had obligations to his students at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. Also, an exclusive is coming event: GALA of Asmik Grigorian, Edgar Montvidas, Gintaras Rinkevičius and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra concert. It will take place on the second day of Christmas Beautiful, in the "Zalgiris" arena.
The tenor admits that he is very much looking forward to this performance - it is the first such big joint project of the famous trio. TO THE END a concert E. Montvid will fly from Basel (Switzerland), where he is currently rehearsing the role of Don José in Georges Bizet's Carmen. Its premiere is scheduled for February 3.
Asmik Grigorian plans to come to the concert in Kaunas from Vienna. Two famous opera soloists from Lithuania have known each other for a long time, but due to different work schedules, they do not meet often. "When Asmik is in London, if the circumstances allow, we definitely meet, or have already managed to meet in Berlin. Frankly speaking, we succeed best when there is joint work in Lithuania", he says.
Calm E. Montvid and emotional A. Grigorian seem to have very different temperaments, but the singer noticed a long time ago that their energies coincide on stage. "We share a similar approach to work. We never work half way. And the voices of the two of us perfectly match the common repertoire - soprano and tenor," he says.
Speaking about the upcoming performance, the tenor was happy that the GALA concert was scheduled for the second day of Christmas. "Together with Asmik and maestro G. Rinkevičius, we put together a very beautiful, festive, stylistically different program. I call one part "French", the second - arias from Puccini's and Verdi's operas, and the last - more Christmas, arranged works will also be played there. I think you will hear a lot of spontaneous greetings and wishes at the concert. Our communication is very real, not pretentious. The connection we feel creates a warm atmosphere, in which the music sounds special", says E. Montvidas.
After the GALA performance in Kaunas, E. Montvido is still waiting for the New Year's "Traviata" in the capital, at the opera and ballet theater. After that, at the beginning of 2024, the tenor will return to Basel again. The premiere of "Carmen" in Switzerland will become his main work in the years to come. Performances in Canada are also planned, in Leoš Janáček's opera "Jenufa", in which he plays the role of Laka Klemen.
