2 February 2019, 7pm
Duration: 2 hours
Price: €15,00 - €40,00
Venue: Vilnius Congress Hall (Vilniaus Str. 6-1, Vilnius)
Soprano Irena Milkevičiūtė
Soprano Asmik Grigorian
Cello David Gernigas
Bass Vladimiras Prudnikovas
Tenor Edgaras Montvidas
Baritone Kostas Smoriginas
Bass Tadas Girininkas
Piano Petras Geniušas
Piano Lukas Geniušas
Piano Alexander Paley
Violin Dalia Kuznecovaitė
Choir KAUNAS STATE CHOIR (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR PETRAS BINGELIS)
Orchestra LITHUANIAN STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius

Led by its founder, artistic director and principal conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 30th Anniversary. "The 30th of January, 1989, when the orchestra's first concert took place at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, is still alive in the minds of several generations of music lovers. With 1,000 seats, the auditorium was too small for all who wanted to attend the concert; the crowd of concert-goers, too eager to get in, even broke down the iron door of the venue! The orchestra was almost entirely made up of young musicians with maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius, only 28 years old at that time, as a conductor. The first notes of Čiurlionis' symphonic poem In the Forest, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony... The expressive gestures of the young conductor, his stunning power captivated the audience and brought a blast of fresh air and new colour to the music. Breathtaking, dazzling forte, moving yet subtle lyricism, impetuous bursts of energy... All this was so unusual, bold and powerful... Everyone in the house understood they were witnesses of a historic event," wrote musicologist Jūratė Katinaitė.

Now, 30 years after its first appearance, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra has become a benchmark for artistic excellence and first-rate professionalism as well as a symbol of new ideas and courage. Thus the orchestra's birthday is a special occasion for everyone who loves and appreciates music. For this festive night, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra is joined by a stellar lineup of Lithuanian opera singers: Irena Milkevičiūtė and Vladimiras Prudnikovas, who partnered the orchestra on its very first performance, as well as the world renowned soloists of a younger generation, Asmik Grigorian, Edgaras Montvidas and Kostas Smoriginas. The concert will also bring together some of the most prominent Lithuanian pianists, Lukas Geniušas, Petras Geniušas, the orchestra's old friend and stage partner, Alexander Paley, the legendary cellist David Geringas, violinist Dalia Kuznecovaitė and Kaunas State Choir led by maestro Petras Bingelis. The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will appear under the baton of its founder, artistic director and principal conductor, a National Prize winner, Professor Gintaras Rinkevičius.