Fantasy

On February 22, pianist Lukas Gedvilas from Lithuania, laureate of many international competitions and a highly valued performer both at home and abroad, will perform a solo program at the Arvo Pärt Center. Gedvilas graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater with a bachelor’s degree and obtained a master’s degree with honors from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater under the guidance of Prof. Ivari Ilja. Among others, his competition wins include grand prix at the international competition “Kaunas Sonorum” in Lithuania (2019), 1st place at the international piano competition “Resonances” in France (2018) and 1st place at the Nijolė and Jonas Dėdinai scholarship competition in Lithuania (2021). The pianist has also received recognition from the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, and the Mayor of Kaunas, Andrius Kupčinskas, for representing the country of Lithuania and the city of Kaunas abroad. Gedvilas is also a valued ensemble partner, collaborating with several ensembles and taking part in projects and festivals that combine different fields of art.

One part of Gedvilas’ eye-catching solo program consists of the star works of romantic piano music – Chopin’s demanding and expressive Barcarolle op. 60, Liszt’s programmatic “Dante” sonata and Grieg’s Ballade in variation form op. 24 themes of Norwegian folk songs that amaze with the diversity of musical thought and the richness of the spectrum of emotions. Another emphasis of the concert is on Scriabin’s work. Alongside the preludes, the composer’s powerful fantasy op. 28, whose dense and contrapuntal texture, the distribution of material between the two hands, and the sometimes seemingly impossible part of the left hand offer plenty of challenges for the pianist. From Estonian music, Eduard Tubin’s nostalgic “Four folk tunes from my homeland” decorates the program.

Programme:
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
Ballade in G minor, Op. 24

Fryderyk Chopin (1810–1849)
Barcarolle in F major op. 60

Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915)
Four Preludes Op. 37
Fantasy in B minor, Op. 28

Ferenc Liszt (1811–1886)
Sonata-fantasy “After Reading Dante” (1849)

Eduard Tubin (1905–1982)
“Four folk tunes from my homeland” (1947)
I Valss variantsioonidega
II Viljategemise laul
III Kandle polka
IV Tants targa rehe all