Mkč26

This concert is an opportunity to embark on an enchanting musical journey, invited by the rising stars of the stage – Aistė Baliunytė, a graduate of the Paris National Conservatory and a laureate and winner of numerous international competitions, and Giedra Julija Tutkutė, a virtuoso of exceptional talent and winner of international competitions.

From European classical music traditions to fiery Latin American rhythms, a colorful program awaits you, revealing the vast possibilities of two harps and the elegance of their sound, combined with passionate performance.

The concert will feature the subtle 'Siciliana' by Ottorino Respighi, rhythmic dances by Luigi Boccherini and Isaac Albéniz, and the temperamental dances of Enrique Granados and Astor Piazzolla. The program will be graced with elegance by musical examples from Alfred Holy and Ignacy Jan Paderewski. A special place in the program is dedicated to the works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, which will transport listeners to elegant salon times.

The duo, performing together since 2023, nurtures the rare genre of the harp duo – expanding the boundaries of the instrument, creating unique arrangements, and revealing the unexpected colorfulness of this instrumental combination to the listeners.

A B O U T T H E P E R F O R M E R S:

Aistė Baliunytė – a former 'čiurlioniukė' (student of the Čiurlionis school), currently teaches at the most famous art school in Lithuania herself. She is the concertmaster of the harp section of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre orchestra and collaborates with other Lithuanian and foreign orchestras. Aistė studied in Paris for eight years, graduated from the Paris National Conservatory in the class of Prof. I. Moretti, and is a winner or prize-winner of numerous international competitions.

Despite her young age, Giedra Julija Tutkutė, a graduate of the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, is not just an excellent professional. A scholarship recipient of the M. Rostropovich 'Help for Lithuanian Children' Foundation, she has participated in seven international harp competitions in the last few years alone and won first place in all of them.

Moreover, Giedra Julija is an excellent composer – her chamber opuses have been winning first places for several years in national young composers' competitions organized by the Lithuanian Composers' Union, as well as in an international composition competition held in Kazakhstan. Her work is also performed in many other European countries. While still a student, she was awarded the 'Little Christopher' statuette twice and earned the gratitude of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė.