On May 21, the National Gallery of Art will host a special evening at Vilnius Spring Festival with composer Laimis Vilkončius. The programme If We Were to Return will feature works created during different stages of the composer’s artistic journey, performed by the composer himself together with the choir Jauna Muzika, the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, and conductor Modestas Barkauskas.

This concert is neither a retrospective nor an anniversary event. Instead, it is a conscious creative decision to return to the song genre that marked the beginning of the composer’s long artistic path. “The concert is not dedicated to any anniversary. It is a desire to freely shape the programme and perform with the finest ensembles of Vilnius, whose artistic flexibility allows a broad spectrum of my music to unfold,” says L. Vilkončius.

Considered one of the composers belonging to the golden fund of Lithuanian music, Vilkončius has created more than one hundred songs, operas, rock operas, ballets, musicals, mysteries, and music for theatre and film over the course of more than five decades. His works such as The Ship, Will You Preserve My Love, And We Keep Rushing, Night When the Potatoes Bloom, and Because of That Song have long become part of the musical memory of different generations.

Yet the composer himself is currently experiencing a new creative phase. “Sometimes the loss of everyday activity can create a feeling of meaninglessness, but creativity has no age limit — no one can force you to stop. I’m happy that these ideas continue to come, and at the moment I am composing a great deal of music,” he says. According to the composer, after his period of writing songs came a turn toward larger forms — operas, ballets, and mysteries.

Vilkončius considers the rock opera Eglė, created together with poet Sigitas Geda, to be one of the defining moments of his creative life. “When I received the commission, my first thought was — will I be able to do it? And when I learned that Sigitas Geda would write the libretto, I understood he would become the guiding dramatist. Sigitas created not a simple fairy tale, but a cosmopolitan, philosophical work. I immediately realized it would become something significant,” the composer recalls.

The concert If We Were to Return will also place strong emphasis on artistic collaboration. Laimis Vilkončius speaks warmly about his creative connection with the artistic director and conductor of the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, Modestas Barkauskas, and about the opportunity to work with some of the country’s strongest ensembles. “At the National Gallery of Art, audiences will hear performances by ensembles of the highest professional level,” says the composer, also emphasizing the importance of the participation of the choir Jauna Muzika.

As the concert approaches, the creative process has already moved into rehearsal spaces — intensive preparations are taking place both at the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra and at the Lithuanian Composers’ Union. “An extremely intensive period lies ahead before the joint creative premiere at the National Gallery of Art,” says L. Vilkončius.

A special place in the composer’s work belongs to the relationship between text and music. Musicologist Rasa Murauskaitė notes that Vilkončius’ creative biography spans an exceptionally wide range of genres — from stage works to music for theatre, film, and children — yet it is the song genre that most fully represents his artistic identity. “During the creative process, the artist does not restrict himself with constant searches for originality — for him, the most important thing is to find forms of expression that strengthen the emotional impact of music,” writes the musicologist.

In this concert, Vilnius becomes not only a geographical location, but also an essential part of creative identity. The programme title If We Were to Return unites different periods into one living musical dramaturgy — sensitive, personal, and at the same time universal.

The Vilnius Spring Festival concert If We Were to Return will take place on May 21 at the National Gallery of Art. On stage: Laimis Vilkončius (vocals, keyboards), choir Jauna Muzika, the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, and conductor Modestas Barkauskas. The concert will be hosted by the composer himself.
More information: springfestival.lt