Alexander Kashpurin, the winner of the International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition 2019

Performers:
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
(artistic director and principal conductor Modestas Pitrėnas)
Soloist ALEXANDER KASHPURIN (piano, Russia; the winner of the International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition 2019)   
LINA DAMBRAUSKAITĖ (soprano)
VLADAS BAGDONAS (reciter)
KAUNAS STATE CHOIR
(artistic director and principal conductor Robertas Šervenikas)
Conductor ROBERTAS ŠERVENIKAS

Programme:
SERGEI RACHMANINOV – Concerto for piano and orchestra Nr. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
CÉSAR FRANCK – Oratorio Redemption (dedicated to the 200th anniversary of composer César Franck)

Russian pianist Alexander Kashpurin returns to the National Philharmonic. He has conquered the hearts of the listeners and earned the jurors’ highest recognition at the International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition 2019, where he won the first prize. The winner of many national and international competitions, he has performed as a soloist and a chamber musician in many European countries, as well as in China, Mongolia and Morocco; his recordings have been released on the record label Melodiya. Among his most recent achievements is the first prize at the Les Etoiles du Piano Competition (France) in November 2021. In tonight’s concert Alexander will perform Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto – it was with the Second Concerto of this Russian composer that the pianist caused rapturous ovation after his performance in the finals of the M. K. Čiurlionis Competition.

The second half of the symphonic music concert features César Franck’s oratorio Rédemption. Its performance marks the composer’s 200th birth anniversary. The monumental French romantic score gathers together huge Lithuanian performing forces: soloists Lina Dambrauskaitė and Vladas Bagdonas as well as two of Lithuania’s main collectives conducted by maestro Robertas Šervenikas – the Kaunas State Choir and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra.