CONCERT PROGRAMME
M. Ravel. Suites Nos. 1 and 2 from the ballet “Daphnis et Chloé”
for chorus and orchestra
M. Ravel. Piano Concerto in G major
M. Ravel. “Boléro”
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, led by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius, invites audiences to an evening of music by the renowned French Impressionist Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). The guest of this concert is one of the most prominent and intriguing pianists of his generation, Lukas Geniušas.
Praised in the international press for his talent and maturity (“The Guardian”), L. Geniušas is regularly invited to perform in prestigious concert halls worldwide: London’s “Wigmore Hall”, Amsterdam’s “Concertgebouw”, Paris’ “Salle Gaveau”, “Louvre Auditorium”, New York’s “Frick Collection”, Washington’s “Phillips Collection”, Genoa’s “Teatro Carlo Felice”, Milan’s “Sala Verdi”, and others. Known for his curiosity and wide-ranging musical interests, L. Geniušas possesses a broad repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary music. The artist captivates audiences not only with impressive virtuosity, but also with elegance, intellectual interpretation, and a blend of temperament, emotion, and logic. His recordings have also received high praise: in 2019, he was awarded the “Recital of the Year” by “Diapason” magazine, and in 2022, he received the prestigious “Gramophone” Classical Music Award for his collaboration with Asmik Grigorian.
In the first part of the concert, the orchestra will perform orchestral suites from Ravel’s ballet “Daphnis et Chloé”. This is a story set in ancient Greece, depicting the love between the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé. Ravel himself called the ballet a “choreographic symphony” – both his contemporaries and modern critics agree that this work is the composer’s “masterpiece for symphony orchestra”.
In the second part of the concert, L. Geniušas will perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major at the LVSO Concert Hall – a piece inspired by jazz melodies and harmonies that fascinated both Paris and the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The evening’s climax will be one of Ravel’s most famous works and an undeniable gem of classical music, “Boléro”. Inspired by the Spanish dance bolero, the piece captivates the listener from the very first bars, gradually drawing them deeper into the mysterious and enchanting whirlwind of the dance.