The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society has announced its calendar of events scheduled for the 70th anniversary season, starting on 18 September 2010. The coming season’s motto – Perpetuum mobile – dictates the seamless change of the seasons: while summer concerts and festivals are being held at the seaside resorts and various towns across the country, the National Philharmonic Hall in Vilnius is filled with anticipation for the autumn celebrations.

The opening concert of the 70th anniversary (18 September, 7 pm) season will feature an impressive line-up, performing a no less spectacular programme – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with its monumental final chorus “Be embraced, millions!” and the romantic Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. In the performance of these majestic classical masterpieces, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (the coeval of the National Philharmonic Society, also celebrating its 70th season this year) under its principal conductor Juozas Domarkas will share the stage with the Kaunas State Choir and soloists, including soprano Asta Krikščiūnaitė, mezzo-soprano Rita Novikaitė, tenor Kęstutis Alčauskis, bass Liudas Norvaišas and violinist Sergej Krylov.

During the first half-year of the coming 2010/2011 season the National Philharmonic Society plans to present more than 50 concerts in Vilnius alone. Some of the most attractive programmes will be taken to the audiences in other Lithuanian cities. We also plan to continue the “Music in Trakai Castle” chamber music series, opening on 12 September, which proved especially successful with the public.

According to Rūta Prusevičienė, director general of the National Philharmonic Society, the 70th anniversary season will delight the local audiences and guests of the city with the performances of Philharmonic’s two resident orchestras – the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (LCO) – the adventurous programmes of the Vilnius and Čiurlionis string quartets and the Musica Humana chamber music ensemble’s endeavours to bridge the European Baroque music with that of contemporary Lithuanian composers. The Orchestral Music Series will present an illustrious roster of musical personalities: conductor Juozas Domarkas, pianist Mūza Rubackytė, violinist Sergej Krylov, Kremerata Baltica and Gidon Kremer; both accomplished vocalists, such as Asta Krikščiūnaitė and Vytautas Juozapaitis, and young singers Merūnas Vitulskis, Ona Kolobovaitė, Ieva Prudnikovaitė and Raminta Vaicekauskaitė, who have already earned public and critical acclaim through various engagements at concert and opera halls, as well as in television projects.

Along with regular conductors with the LNSO, Robertas Šervenikas and Modestas Pitrėnas, the guest conductors who will mount the pulpit of the LNSO in its 70th anniversary series will include Cyril Diederich (France), Georg Mark (Austria) and David Geringas (Germany). For its 50th anniversary series the LCO and its artistic director Sergej Krylov will invite internationally acclaimed musicians: pianist Golda Vainberg-Tatz (USA), violinist Alexander Rozhdestvensky, conductor Pietro Borgonovo (Italy), pianists Povilas Stravinskas (USA), Petras Geniušas and Evelina Puzaitė (UK), violinist Diana Galvydytė (UK) and cellist David Geringas (Germany). The season will also feature the appearances of some of the best Lithuanian choral groups, including Kaunas State Choir, Vilnius Mixed Choir, Jauna Muzika Choir of Vilnius Municipality, Šiauliai State Chamber Choir Polifonija and Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir. The perpetuum mobile of the season’s events will be ensured by the annual flow of concerts included in the Chamber Music Series, Recital Series, Family Series, Christmas Music Week and New Year’s Eve concerts.

The season’s major events will be recorded and broadcast by the Lithuanian National Radio and Television and the Europe’s leading classical and jazz music channel MEZZO.

For more information about the scheduled events, ticket prices and available discounts, check our website.