Needle of Light. LNSO, Mirga Gražinytė–Tyla and "Duettissimo"

Opening Concert of the V International Joseph Achron Music Festival

The concert is dedicated to the memory of Romualdas Gražinis

Performers: Lithuanian national symphony orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Modestas Pitrėnas) Ensemble DUETTISSIMO: DALIA DĖDINSKAITĖ (violin), GLEB PYŠNIAK (cello) Featuring: Chamber Choir AIDIJA, National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art Choir (Artistic Director Jaunius Šakalys), Šiauliai Boys and Youth Choir DAGILĖLIS (Artistic Director Remigijus Adomaitis) Conductor MIRGA GRAŽINYTĖ-TYLA Concert host RASA MURAUSKAITĖ-JUŠKIENĖ

Program: ŽIBUOKLĖ MARTINAITYTĖ – “Needle of Light” for violin, cello, and symphony orchestra (premiere) JOSEPH ACHRON – Two Tableaux from the Theatre Music to “Belshazzar”: Tableau No. 2 “Belshazzar's Feast” MIECZYSŁAW WEINBERG – Symphony No. 21 “Kaddish”, Op. 152

The International Joseph Achron Music Festival annually honors the memory of this legendary Litvak composer born in Lazdijai. This year, the festival will begin with a special concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, where the renowned Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla will conduct the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. The concert program, alongside works by two prominent composers of Jewish descent – Joseph Achron and Mieczysław Weinberg – will also feature a new work for violin, cello, and symphony orchestra, “Needle of Light,” by New York-based composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė.

The Babylonian ruler Belshazzar, associated with the idea of the Antichrist in the Middle Ages, eventually became a symbol of pride, sacrilege, and inevitable doom. J. Achron presented his own interpretation to the public in 1924 while living in Berlin; it was first performed in Israel that same year as part of a play staged at the “Teatron Eretz Israeli” theater. Many circumstances surrounding the creation of the play remain unclear, but it is known that later, while living in the USA, J. Achron created an independent concert work for symphony orchestra from the music for the play.

The festival's opening concert will be symbolically crowned by the Symphony No. 21 by Polish-born composer M. Weinberg, whose title “Kaddish” refers to a hymn from Jewish religious rites. This work gives meaning not only to the legacy of Jewish music – by conducting his works in recordings and concerts, M. Gražinytė-Tyla continues her very personal mission of introducing M. Weinberg's music to the widest possible audience.

Organizer – VšĮ “Ars Lituanica”, partner – Lithuanian National Philharmonic