RE:TURN | Piano Recital “Echoes of the Baltics”

“I would like to compose a symphony from the roar of the waves, from the mysterious language of the centuries-old forest, from the twinkling of the stars, from our songs, and from my boundless longing,”— Lithuanian composer M. K. Čiurlionis

Sounds born of silence, the wind, and the sea. The music of M. K. Čiurlionis, B. Dvarionas, A. Remėsa, P. Vasks, and A. Pärt is not only an echo of the culture of the Baltic countries but also a living, unfolding narrative that sensitively blends tradition and the present.

Pianist Monika Dars (Belgium) will perform music by Baltic composers—ranging from melancholic lyricism and fragile harmonies of frozen time to dynamic, pulsating energy; from echoes of folk motifs to bold, experimental harmonies. Echoes of folklore are not merely quoted here, but are deconstructed, transformed—sometimes barely audible like a song ringing in the distance, sometimes pulsing to the rhythm of dance. Folk melodies become a bridge between the past and the present, between tradition and innovation.

***

This performance by Monika Dars is part of the RE:TURN project at the Magic of Music Club. The project is partly funded by the Vilnius City Municipality.

RE:TURN is a project by the Music Magic Club aimed at bringing young, professional Lithuanian musicians who currently live abroad or have recently returned to Lithuania into the cultural orbit of Vilnius. These are musicians who often have significant achievements in the international arena and are well known in other countries, but do not yet have enough opportunities to perform frequently in their homeland. This cycle aims to create conditions for them to take their rightful place among their colleagues in Lithuanian musical life and to gain recognition from music lovers in Vilnius.