CREATIVE ACTIVITY

“Klaipėda Music Spring“ – Magnificent Sound of Classics

April 10th – May 11th 2007 / Programme

Let the spirit of spring and the natural harmonies of nature and music fill you with renewed energy and enjoyment of life!

It is with pleasure that we invite you for the 32nd time to Lithuania’s oldest music festival, dedicated once again to major classical work of music. Expressive, magnificent and impressive concerts reflect the spring awakening.

8 events make up the XXXII “Klaipėda Music Spring“ programme. Three are presented together the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, in accordance with an agreement of partnership signed in December 2006. Indeed the Philharmonic initiated the development of the festival in 1976.

Festival opening – Easter Oratorio

This year’s opening concert coincides with the most important of spring festivals – Easter. The magnificent music of Johan Sebastian Bach perfectly conveys the joy and dignity of the sprit of Easter; even more so, as the music is performed by the superb interpreters of baroque music – the Lithuanian National Philharmonic assembly “Musica Humana”, Vilnius Municipality choir “Jauna Muzika” lead by conductors Algirdas Vizgirda and Vaclovas Augustinas, as well as the talented Lithuanian young soloists Raminta Vaicekauskaitė (soprano), Ieva Prudnikovaitė (mezzo-soprano), Mindaugas Zimkus (tenor), Ignas Misiūra (base-baritone).

A Festival tradition – Chamber Orchestra concerts

As is traditional, the Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra (artistic director – Liuda Kuraitienė) will take part in the festival and this time is conducted by the Lithuanian National Award winner and World Intellectual Property Association laureate Donatas Katkus. The Klaipeda Chamber Orchestra will also be joined by the contra-bassist Donatas Bagurskas from Vilnius, giving the rare opportunity to hear this instrument played solo.

The Lithuanian National Philharmonic collective the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra has typically ended the festival. This year, however, they will play the penultimate concert on May 1st – 3 years exactly after Lithuania joined the European union. To mark this event the concert this year will be performed together with the Hungarian virtuoso trumpeter Gabor Boldoczki, who will not only play but also conduct.

The Orchestra “Camerata Klaipėda” will perform popular Lithuanian and international songs arranged for voice and string orchestra, together with the most famous of Lithuanian tenors Virgilius Noreika (Due to illness, in place of Virgilijus Noreika, soloist will be Ignas Misiura (bass-bariton). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s third concert for violin will be performed by the orchestra leader and violinist Vilhelmas Čepinskis.

The impressive “Magnificat”

Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Klaipeda choir “Aukuras” will perform the impressive „Magnificat“ by American composer John Rutter. Solo parts will be sung by the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre soloist Sandra Jonušaitė. We will also hear Ludwig van Beethoven’s most spring-like VI symphony - “The Pastoral”. The orchestra will be conducted by the artistic director, winner of the prestigious G. Fitelberg conductor’s competition and gold medal winner Modestas Pitrėnas.

Closing of the festival – Spring bolero

In the closing concert “Spring bolero” we will hear, of course, Maurice Ravel’s most popular composition. Not for the first time, the ample spaces of the hall will be filled by the powerful, reaching sounds of the Lithuania National Symphony orchestra, conducted by artistic director and senior conductor Juozas Domarkas. The American Sergej Babajan, who is ranked amongst the world elite of today’s pianists, will premier in Klaipėda with a performance of Prokofiev’s second piano concerto.

Festival video Club guests – exceptional personalities

In two video club events on the ground floor of the Klaipeda Concert Hall, exceptional personalities in Lithuania’s music scene will take part. The musicologist, professor and this year’s Lithuanian National laureate Jonas Bruveris will talk on the theme “Opera through the ages” and will show the best of opera extracts from different stylistic eras. The main personality in the “Creative portrait of the persuasive and colourful Donatas Katkus” will be maestro Katkus himself. We will see extracts from concerts and films in which he has played, conducted or acted.

Festival Patron – Klaipėda City Municipality

Main Sponsor – Limarko Shipping Company

Sponsor – Lithuanian Culture and Sport Support Fund

Information sponsors: Television companies LTV, LR; Newspapers ”Klaipėda”, “Vakarų ekspresas”; Radio stations “Vox Maris”, Radijas 9, Other: balsas.lt., „Bravissimo“, advertising paper „Pliusas“

Partners:

Lithuanian National Philharmonic

Lithuanian Music Information and Publishing Centre