Vivace Vilnius Art Song Gala

Performers

Simon Robinson, bass-baritone
Christina Wright-Ivanova, piano
Irina Mureșanu, violin
Inga Vyšniauskaitė, piano

Programme

Francesco Paolo Tosti

Non t’amo più
L’ultima canzone
La Serenata
Donna, vorrei morir
Malìa

Cesare Andrea Bixio

Mamma

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Songs of Travel — complete song cycle

Louis Spohr

Works for violin, voice, and piano

George Enescu

Works for violin and piano

Pablo de Sarasate

Carmen Fantasy

Following their great success last year, audience favourites bass-baritone Simon Robinson and pianist Christina Wright-Ivanova return to the festival. This year’s Vivace Vilnius Art Song Gala will feature gems of Italian vocal lyricism alongside one of the most significant works of English vocal chamber music: Ralph Vaughan Williams’s song cycle Songs of Travel.

Internationally acclaimed Romanian violinist Irina Mureșanu will make her festival debut. She will perform works by Louis Spohr, George Enescu, and Pablo de Sarasate, including the spectacular Carmen Fantasy. The evening’s programme will unite vocal and instrumental chamber music, revealing the diversity, emotional richness, and virtuosity of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European music.

Four additional singers participating in Vivace Vilnius will perform with pianist Inga Vyšniauskaitė: Sophie Krieger of Germany, Sarah Keller of Germany, Gerda Bornhauser of France and Switzerland, and Liepa Spakauskas of Lithuania and Canada. The programme will also include works by Pauline Viardot, George Frideric Handel, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Simon Robinson is an internationally acclaimed British bass-baritone who performs throughout Europe and North America. He completed advanced musical studies at prestigious institutions in the United Kingdom and quickly established himself as a distinguished performer of opera and chamber music.

His repertoire spans a wide range of periods, from the Baroque era to contemporary music. Vocal chamber music and song cycles hold a particularly important place in his artistic career, allowing him to demonstrate his sensitive understanding of poetry and subtle interpretative approach.

Robinson is a regular guest at international festivals and collaborates with renowned pianists and conductors. He is also actively involved in teaching, giving masterclasses for young singers and advising emerging opera soloists.

Christina Wright-Ivanova is a pianist, educator, and chamber music specialist based in the United States. She performs as both a soloist and chamber musician and regularly collaborates with singers and instrumentalists.

She has earned recognition for her refined art of accompaniment, her ability to respond sensitively to her stage partners, and her talent for creating a cohesive musical narrative. Her repertoire encompasses a broad spectrum of styles, from classical music to contemporary works.

In her teaching, Wright-Ivanova places particular emphasis on chamber music and the development of young performers. She regularly gives masterclasses and participates in international music projects.

Romanian-born violinist Irina Mureșanu is one of the most distinguished performers of her generation, renowned for her virtuosity, stage charisma, and musical versatility. She studied in Romania and the United States and now performs in major concert halls throughout North America and Europe.

She has received numerous international awards and has appeared with a wide range of orchestras and chamber ensembles. Her repertoire includes both classical and contemporary music, with a particular focus on works by Romanian composers.

Irina Mureșanu is also an active educator, teaching at higher-education music institutions in the United States and giving masterclasses around the world.

Inga Vyšniauskaitė is a Lithuanian pianist who performs actively as both a soloist and chamber musician. She participates in a variety of international projects and collaborates with instrumentalists and vocalists from Lithuania and abroad. Her artistry is distinguished by sensitive musical thinking, stylistic versatility, and an ability to reveal the distinctive character of music from different periods with subtlety.

Chamber music forms a major part of her artistic career. Inga regularly participates in concert projects in Lithuania and abroad, presenting programmes with both emerging and established performers. Her interpretations are characterised by technical precision, musicality, and close artistic communication with her stage partners. She is also actively involved in teaching, educational projects, and masterclasses.

Festival organisers: Vivace Vilnius and Vilnius Town Hall

Festival partners: DELFI, JCDecaux Lietuva, Imperial Hotel, AKVILĖ mineral water, and Go Vilnius