LKO concert features the famous violin virtuoso AKIKO SUWANAI

The captivating violin celebrity AKIKO SUWANAI will perform in Vilnius

This autumn, one of the world's most prominent violinists – Japanese virtuoso Akiko Suwanai – returns to Vilnius. She will perform on October 29 at the National Philharmonic in a concert by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Gediminas Gelgotas. "The Washington Post" wrote about the performer's playing: "her rich, focused, piercing sound cut through the sonic space like a race car, weaving freely through traffic (and sometimes stopping it)." And "The St. Louis American" describes her virtuosity as "almost superhuman."

Akiko Suwanai triumphed and won 1st place at the International Tchaikovsky Competition (1990) – one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. At just 18 years old, she became the youngest winner of this competition and immediately began an impressive international career. She has performed with the world's most famous orchestras – the Berlin and New York Philharmonics, the London Symphony and London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and many other top-tier ensembles. On stage, she has collaborated with world-renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Paavo Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Sakari Oramo, Fabio Luisi, Jaap van Zweden, and others.

Critics' reviews are extremely eloquent, testifying to both Akiko Suwanai's stunning virtuosity and her mesmerizing interpretations. "American Songwriter" highlights the performer's "broad repertoire and exceptional technical mastery, which sets her apart even among the world's most talented musicians," while "South Finland News" wrote that Akiko Suwanai's violin sound was "one of the most beautiful ever heard in the Sibelius Hall," and her interpretations were "innovative, fresh," as if the performer drew inspiration "not from the earth, but from the heavens."

Because of these qualities, Akiko Suwanai is considered one of the world's most prominent violinists today, constantly invited to perform on such prestigious stages as New York's Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic, London's Royal Albert Hall, the BBC Proms, and the Lucerne and Schleswig-Holstein festivals.

Akiko Suwanai's last season was extremely intense – she performed with the Lucerne Symphony and Budapest Festival orchestras, made her debut with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, toured China with the Hallé Orchestra and conductor Kahchun Wong, and also toured Spain and Cardiff with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Jaime Martín.