CONCERT PROGRAMME
Ph. Glass. Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
F. Schubert. Symphony No. 8 in B minor (“Unfinished”)
V. Silvestrov. Symphony No. 7
This evening's guests of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra are Estonian violinist Katariina Maria Kits and cellist Marcel Johannes Kits. The sister and brother duo of the famous musicians of the younger generation, winners of international competitions, will present the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello by Philip Glass (b. 1937), one of the most influential American composers of the late 20th century, the representative of minimalism.
In the second part of the concert, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will perform Symphony No.8 in B minor, known worldwide as the “Unfinished Symphony” by the Austrian Romantic composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828). Despite the fact that the symphony consists of only two movements instead of the usual four, Schubert's “Unfinished Symphony” has become one of the most interesting, expressive and mysterious works of its genre in the world.
The concert will also feature the Seventh Symphony composed in 2003 by Valentin Silvestrov (b.1937), one of the most prominent Ukrainian composers of contemporary classical music. The translucent texture of the symphony's musical fabric gives the listener the impression that the music simply evaporates into thin air, leaving a stunning impression.
This evening the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, one of the most famous Ukrainian conductors, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. During his career, V. Sirenko has conducted at venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Champs Elysees Opera House in Paris, and the Tokyo Opera City. He has recorded more than 50 CDs, one of which received a Grammy nomination. V. Sirenko is also Professor of Opera and Symphonic Conducting at the Ukrainian National Academy of Music.