On Wednesday 8 December, 2021, at 6 p.m. composer and violinist Mihkel Kerem (Estonia), together with pianist Rokas Zubovas, will present his new work, “Without Saying Goodbye”, based on sketches from Čiurlionis’ “Sonata for Violin and Piano”, at Vilnius Town Hall. In the last concert of the 2021 in M. K. Čiurlionis House project “Čiurlionis Dialogues”, alongside this new work, the audience will also hear works by Čiurlionis’ contemporaries Bela Bartók, Hein Eller, Leoš Janáček and Jan Sibelius.
Critic Robert Maxham has written in Fanfare as follows: “Anyone who believes that the traditional tonality can only express timeworn clichés should listen to the music of Kerem.”
The concert is free of charge. Only with ‘opportunity passport’ and registration. Registration – HERE.
Kompozitorius ir smuikininkas Mihkelis Keremas (Estija)
Mihkel Kerem embodies the tradition of renowned violinists who are not only virtuoso soloists, but also concertmasters of renowned orchestras, versatile chamber music performers, and prominent composers. The Estonian-born violinist focuses on the music of Estonia and the Baltic States, often incorporating works by composers from these countries into his repertoire. Currently Assistant Concertmaster of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (UK) and the Brandenburg Symphony (UK), Mihkel Kerem completed his studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and the Royal College of Music in London.
Kerem’s oeuvre currently comprises around 160 works, including 7 symphonies, numerous concertos, orchestral works, 10 string quartets, a string sextet, a string octet, 3 sonatas for violin and piano, 2 wind quintets, sonatas for alto and piano, cello and piano, and a solo piano. Kerem’s works have been performed in the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and many other European countries. Kerem has been Composer-in-Residence at the renowned Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany and the Aurora Chamber Music Festival in Sweden. His works have been performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra with Neeme Järvi, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Oulu Sinfonia, Joensuu City Orchestra, Camerata Nordica and Chilingirian String Quartet.
In 2012 Toccata Classics released a CD of Kerem’s 4 violin sonatas. The second CD of Symphony No. 3 for Lamento viola and strings and string sextet was issued in 2013.
Pianist Rokas Zubovas
Pianist Rokas Zubovas is best known to the audience for his interpretations of Čiurlionis. He has recorded all of the composer’s piano works, and even played his famous ancestor in the feature film “Letters to Sofija”. The pianist has also organised the international chamber music and ecology festival “The Land of the Disobedient” for fifteen years, presenting from 7 to 9 thematic chamber music programmes each year.
Born in Lithuania, Mr. Zubovas started his piano studies in Kaunas, under R. Šekšnytė. He received his undergraduate degree from the Music Academy of Lithuania under Prof. J. Karnavičius, later earning his M. M. degree from DePaul University in Chicago under Prof. D.Paperno. In addition he has studied extensively in Zurich, Switzerland at the International Heinrich Neuhaus Institute where his teacher was pianist Esther Yellin. In the United States, Rokas Zubovas also studied with pianists Edward Auer, Andrius Kuprevičius.
Organiser:
M. K. Čiurlionis House
Partners:
Sponsor:
Lithuanian Council for Culture
The concert is part of the www.700vilnius.lt program.
