PROGRAMME
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Piano Concertos No. 1 and No. 2
Feliksas Bajoras. To Paint Music (Lith. Tapyti muziką), premiere
Jean Sibelius. Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 85
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The fiery temperament, talent and charisma of the piano virtuouso Alexander Paley leaves no one indifferent. The musician, who is dividing his time between New York and Paris and is much sought-after in various venues all over the world, always manages to return to Lithuania too. And it is no wonder about that as he shares a special relationship with our country: "I love Maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius. Throughout my career I have performed with various conductors and orchestras, but I have to admit that I always had the best time playing under the baton of the Maestro," says the eminent pianist.
Alexander Paley's debut with the American National Symphony Orchestra in 1991 was described as "flawless" by The Washington Post, which led him to other widely acclaimed performances with the top orchestras of the world. The audiences gave him standing ovations and the critics were generous with praise for his "dazzling technical prowess", "convincing and personal interpretations" and "his exceptionally broad and extensive repertoire". Today Alexander Paley's star shines as brightly as it did years ago: he gives approximately 80 performances a year all over the world. This evening at Vilnius Congress Hall will see Alexander Paley unfold the harmoniously expressive and picturesque world of the German Romanticist, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
The second part of the concert will present the premiere of Lithuanian composer Feliksas Bajoras' latest work To Paint Music (Lith. Nutapyti muziką), after which the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will play one of the most famous scores by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, the Fifth Symphony in E-flat Major, Op. 85. The impressive masterpiece, representative of the composer's mature style, is particularly known for its breathtaking finale with the "swan-call motif". In his diary Sibelius noted the inspiration for the grand theme in his Fifth Symphony: "Today I saw 16 swans. God, what beauty! They circled over me for a long time and then disappeared into the solar haze like a silver ribbon."
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will be led by its founder, artistic director and chief conductor, a Lithuanian National Prize winner, Maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius.