Vocalise: Asta Krikščiūnaitė, Milda Umbrusevičiūtė, Gleb Pyšniak

5Th international joseph achron music festival

"Vocalise"

Asta KRIKŠČIŪNAITĖ (soprano)

Milda UMBRUSEVIČIŪTĖ (piano)

Gleb PYŠNIAK (cello)

In this concert, voice, cello, and piano meet as three equal storytellers. Each has its own timbre, its own breath, and its own inner language. Sometimes they merge into a seamless musical fabric, sometimes they contrast, and sometimes they quietly complement what can no longer be expressed in words.

The axis of this program is the human voice in the broadest sense: not just singing, but also inner monologue, the whisper of memory, the peace of a lullaby, the pain of an elegy, the mask of irony, and a confession filled with longing. Here, music speaks of what is fragile, personal, and difficult to name—love, loss, waiting, loneliness, tenderness, and the human need to be heard.

The program will feature music by André Previn, Joseph Achron, Nadia Boulanger, Jules Massenet, and Kurt Weill. It is a journey from wordless vocalise to theatrical song, from the tenderness of a lullaby to the longing of an elegy, from intimate chamber dialogue to vivid stage character.

This multi-layered program will be performed by soprano Asta Krikščiūnaitė, pianist Milda Umbrusevičiūtė, and cellist Gleb Pyšniak. They are united by subtle ensemble listening, musical maturity, and the ability to create a story in which every sound becomes meaningful.

PROGRAM:

André Previn – "Vocalise" André Previn – Four Songs Joseph Achron – "Lullaby" / arranged by Gleb Pyšniak Nadia Boulanger – Three Pieces for Cello and Piano Jules Massenet – "Elegy" Kurt Weill – Songs

About the Performers

Asta Krikščiūnaitė (soprano) Laureate of the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize, one of the most prominent Lithuanian vocal music performers. Her repertoire encompasses opera, oratorio, chamber music, the Lied genre, and works by contemporary composers. A. Krikščiūnaitė has performed over 700 works of various genres, sung in prestigious European halls and festivals, and collaborated with Lithuanian and foreign orchestras and conductors. She is a professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and head of the Singing Department.

Milda Umbrusevičiūtė (piano) A pianist actively performing as a soloist and chamber musician. Her solo programs have been heard in Lithuania and abroad, and her concerts have been broadcast by LRT KLASIKA. M. Umbrusevičiūtė collaborates with prominent Lithuanian performers, creates thematic chamber music programs, and consistently nurtures a repertoire of various eras and styles. The pianist graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, studied at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, and refined her skills under renowned Lithuanian and foreign pedagogues.

Gleb Pyšniak (cello) One of the most prominent Lithuanian cellists. At the age of fourteen, he debuted as a soloist with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, conducted by Prof. Saulius Sondeckis. A student of the legendary cellist Natalia Gutman, he performs in the world's most famous halls, including the Vienna Musikverein, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. As a soloist, he has played with the Lithuanian National Symphony, the Lithuanian State Symphony, the Lithuanian Chamber, the St. Christopher Chamber, Sinfonietta Riga, the Porto Symphony, and other orchestras. G. Pyšniak is a laureate of national and international competitions and was awarded by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, for promoting the name of Lithuania in the world.