Čiurlionis Quartet Family. To Mark Saulius Lipčius 80th Anniversary

Performers:
ČIURLIONIS QUARTET
GUODA GEDVILAITĖ (piano)
SAULIUS S. LIPČIUS (guitar)
TEODORAS LIPČIUS (cello)

Programme:
ROBERT SCHUMANN – String quartet, Op. 41 No. 1 in A minor
TEODORAS LIPČIUS – Theatre Stories for string quartet (2026, premiere)
DIANA ČEMERYTĖ – Dygiose žolėse stovi vienišas Picasso (Lonely Picasso Stands in Prickly Grass) for guitar and cello
ENRIQUE GRANADOS – Andaluza (Andalusia) from the cycle Danzas españolas (Spanish Dances; version for guitar and cello by Saulius S. Lipčius)
MIKALOJUS KONSTANTINAS ČIURLIONIS – Prelude, VL 239 (version for cello and guitar by Saulius S. Lipčius)
GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI – Toccata (arranged for cello and piano by Gaspar Cassadó)
FLORENCE PRICE – Piano quintet in A minor

The Čiurlionis Quartet, together with renowned colleagues pianist Guoda Gedvilaitė, guitarist Saulius S. Lipčius and young cellist Teodoras Lipčius, present a wonderful anniversary gift to the Quartet’s longtime cellist, Saulius Lipčius, who is celebrating his 80th birthday. The programme will feature some of the most beautiful examples of chamber music ranging from Romantic works to the premiere of a piece by the young composer Teodoras Lipčius. This time the programme is enriched with arrangements that highlight the interplay of the guitar, cello, and piano.

Formed in 1968, the Čiurlionis Quartet was one of the first ensembles to receive the Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize in 1990. Cellist Saulius Lipčius, who is celebrating his 80th birthday this year, has been a member of the Quartet since its inception. With this ensemble, S. Lipčius has performed on the world’s most prestigious stages, from Iceland to Japan and China, from the United Kingdom to the United States, and has repeatedly participated in prestigious festivals such as the Prague Spring, Schleswig-Holstein, Europamusikale, Amadeo in Zagreb, St. Magnus in Great Britain, and others. The cellist has said that he has devoted his entire creative life to the Quartet and is delighted that he has been able to work among like-minded colleagues for many decades.

In 2016, cellist Saulius Lipčius was awarded the Ministry of Culture’s Medal of Honor, “Carry Your Light and Believe” for his significant contributions and outstanding achievements in Lithuanian culture and the arts, for initiatives that inspire the community to engage in positive activities, and for his personal responsibility in creating a cultural and spiritual environment. In 2004, the cellist was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great.

The tradition of Saulius Lipčius, a third-generation member of a musical dynasty, is carried on by his son Saulius S. Lipčius and his grandchildren, among whom Teodoras has built up perhaps the most distinguished stage career: he is a pupil at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, plays the cello, composes music, sings, performs in theatre and opera productions, and has appeared in several films.