On June 2nd, at 7 pm, an exclusive chamber music concert is eagerly awaited at the National Philharmonic Hall: an internationally acclaimed Lithuanian tenor, Edgaras Montvidas, is to return to the Vilnius Festival and give a recital with his stage partner, pianist Simon Lepper. This programme presents an auspicious combination of both artists’ sophisticated tastes and musical talents, and will doubtless become one of the most memorable moments of the Vilnius Festival 2010.

Edgaras Montvidas is one of the most internationally renowned young Lithuanian tenors. He has received invitations to sing the leading roles at major opera houses across Europe under many prominent conductors where he has collaborated with the world famous opera soloists and directors. From 2001 to 2003 he was one of the Royal Opera’s inaugural Vilar Young Artists in London. From 2004 to 2006 he was member of the company at the Oper Frankfurt.

Perhaps it would not be an exaggeration to say that Montvidas is a true minion of fortune. He was lucky to meet the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, who gave him a two-hour master class in his hotel room in London; he also sang to Plácido Domingo and Marcelo Álvarez. Last autumn he returned to the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre where he made his operatic debut ten years ago as Arturo Bucklaw in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Today his performances are scheduled for two coming years, with appearances at the most spectacular venues; his name is also often seen on the bills at Covent Garden.

“On the plane to London I made a wish: I will conquer it at any cost,” said Edgaras Montvidas to himself in 2001. And the luck stroke right away when he was pitched at short notice into taking over as Alfredo from the indisposed Roberto Aronica in the Covent Garden production of La traviata in 2002. “I knew that was a decisive evening for me: either I will drown, or I will learn to swim,” said the soloist whose appearance enthralled the public and elicited enthusiastic responses even from the London critics who are considered the ‘beasts’ of the musical world. They seemed to enjoy his unscheduled debut and even dared to remark that the young tenor surpassed his indisposed colleague… Such lucky coincidences are very rare in an artist’s life. But when the similar chain of coincidences reoccurs, it makes one think of a special favour of the Fortune: in March this year, when both the leading tenor and his understudy in Elixir of Love fell ill, the English National Opera had two choices – to cancel the scheduled performances or to find an instant replacement for Nemorino which seemed an absolutely impossible task. Edgaras, as chance would have it, was in London at that moment and had recently sung Nemorino at the Scottish Opera, receiving accolades and wide recognition for that role. Invited at midday, he sang the role the same evening in Italian to the rest of the cast’s English: “the results were so exhilarating that the audience left begging for repeat performances… Edgaras comes on and sings a lovesick Quanta e bella, silencing the room as you’d expect when a guy in blue overalls hits his notes like the young Lucy Pav,” wrote influential writer and arts critic Norman Lebrecht in his blog.

An accomplished opera soloist, Montvidas also appears in recitals, which reveal yet another striking side of his artistic personality. He shows an impeccable sense of style and subtle ambiance in devising his recital programmes. Montvidas has performed in concerts at London’s Royal Festival and Royal Albert Hall, at the Barbican Centre, at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and throughout the Baltic States. An evening of Spanish songs on the backdrop of the Pažaislis monastery near Kaunas (Pažaislis Festival) or a recital of the French romantic songs at the Vilnius Festival 2004 still make the most sensitive corners of the soul tremble.

His forthcoming appearance at the Vilnius Festival is a rare opportunity to come closer to the fragile and sensual world of the art song. “Home means spiritual comfort to me,” Edgaras confesses and returns to the Lithuanian stage to present the enchanting song cycles by Debussy and Ravel, the timeless sonnets of Petrarch, set to the music in three vocal miniatures by Liszt, and wistful songs by Grieg. He will also sing in Lithuanian, performing the aria (also known as barcarole) of Kastytis from the opera Jūratė and Kastytis by Lithuanian emigrant composer Kazimieras Viktoras Banaitis.

Pianist Simon Lepper has already appeared as Edgaras Montvidas’s stage partner, accompanying his recital at the Vilnius Festival 2004. Lepper was educated at the King’s College Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music and has recently been appointed as Professor of Piano Accompaniment at the Royal College of Music, London. He is a winner of various piano accompanists’ competitions and is a regular participant of the prestigious Verbier Festival (Switzerland) and BBC Proms.

One of the finest accompanists on the classical music scene today, Simon Lepper is praised for astute and sensitive accompanying (BBC Music Magazine). According to the influential Opera magazine, he is “one of the most gifted and enterprising of his generation,” while The Times wrote: “Simon Lepper, whose prowess as a pianist is fused with a real sensitivity to words and to the voice, is a rarity indeed.”