Čiurlioniada: Piano Music Evening | Jinhyung Park and Simonas Poška

Two very promising young-generation pianists – laureates of the 9th International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition – will meet on the stage of Vilnius Town Hall: 1st prize winner Jinhyung Park (South Korea) and 2nd prize winner Simonas Poška (Lithuania). This piano music evening is part of the celebrations marking the 150th birthday anniversary of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. The program will feature a selection of Čiurlionis piano works, reflecting his unique musical world. The concert also will be enriched by the works of other prominent composers, including F. Liszt, O. Messiaen, and F. Chopin. While Lithuania celebrates Čiurlionis’ jubilee, the international music community also marks the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birthday, who’s subtle piano pieces will also be part of the evening’s programme.

This event is part of the concert series Čiurlioniada. Piano and Organ Music Evenings. On this special occasion, the Center for International Cultural Projects has invited special guests and jury members, laureates of the various editions of the International M. K. Čiurlionis Organ and Piano Competition to the Lithuanian capital. In addition to the composer's own organ and piano works, the program of the cycle will also include premieres of the pieces inspired by Čiurlionis's legacy, explications of the fragments or just the themes left, improvisations, newly prepared and previously created arrangements, and the work of contemporaries.

PROGRAMME

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) |

Prelude in B Major, VL 186

Prelude in B-flat minor, VL 169

Prelude in F-sharp Major, VL 184

Nocturne in C-sharp minor, op. 6

Nocturne in F-sharp minor, op. 4

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) |

Pavane pour une infante défunte, M. 19

Fryderyk Chopin  (1810–1849) |

Sonata No. 3 in B minor, op. 58

---

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) |

Three Pieces on One Theme (from Little Sonata):

Allegro, VL 269

Andante, VL 270

Scherzo, VL 271

Variations on Sefaa Esec Theme, VL 258

Variations on Besacas Theme, VL 265

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

Jeux d'eau, M. 30

Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)

Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus: 

N°11 Première communion de la Vierge

Ferenc Liszt (1811–1886)

Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année – Italie, S 161:

N°7 Après une lecture du Dante 'Fantasia quasi Sonata'

PROJECT IS PARTLY SPONNSORED BY

Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality.

Jinhyung Park (South Korea) is a rapidly rising pianist, actively performing across Europe and Asia. He has appeared on such renowned stages, as the Prague Spring Festival and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. He has performed with distinguished ensembles, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, and the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. A laureate of numerous international competitions, Jinhyung Park  won 1st prize at the Prague Spring International Competition (2016), the P. Jaén International Piano Competition (2023), and the M. K. Čiurlionis International Piano Competition (2023). He has also became a winner of the prestigious International Music Competition of the Moroccan Philharmonic Orchestra (2025). 

Simonas Poška (Lithuania) is one of the most notable young pianists’ in the country. In 2023, he earned 2nd prize and the special prize for best Lithuanian performance at the 9th International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition. Currently, he studies under prof. Roland Krüger at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, and previously graduated from the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts in Vilnius. He has performed with orchestras such as the French Republican Guard Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra. Simonas has received recognition for his musical achievements from the former president of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, and has been awarded the Little St. Christopher Prize of the City of Vilnius. He has been supported by the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation and, since 2022, is a scholarship holder of the Live Music Now Hannover foundation.