Christmas with "Ąžuoliukas"

Performers: Boys and Youth Choir ĄŽUOLIUKAS (Artistic Director Vytautas Miškinis, choirmasters: Neringa Sidaugaitė, Romas Skapas, Gitana Trimirkaitė, Gabrielius Gaidamavičius, Igor Larionov) Ensemble MUSICA HUMANA (Artistic Director and Conductor Robertas Beinaris) Featuring: VISMANTĖ BENKUNSKIENĖ (soprano), TADAS MOTIEČIUS (accordion), RIMVYDAS MITKUS (piano) Conductor VYTAUTAS MIŠKINIS

Program: Martín Palmeri “Misa a Buenos Aires” (“Misa tango”), traditional Christmas carols

The festive concerts of Ąžuoliukas, which have become a beautiful tradition, annually gather a large audience at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, for whom the anticipation of Christmas is inseparable from bright and inspiring choral music.

In this concert, alongside traditional, well-known Christmas carols, the audience will hear “Misa a Buenos Aires,” or “Tango Mass” (“Misa a Buenos Aires. Misa tango”), by Argentine composer Martín Palmeri (b. 1965). In this work, written in 1996, the author combines the Roman Catholic Latin Mass with the tango nuevo genre. M. Palmeri was inspired to create a classical mass with tango intonations and rhythms by the music of his compatriot Ástor Piazzolla, which is reflected in the ensemble: the work's timbre spectrum is complemented by the bandoneon, strings, piano, and rich vocals. The world premiere of the work took place on August 17, 1996, at the Avenida Theatre in Buenos Aires; it is now performed all over the world and has become one of M. Palmeri's most popular opuses.