Concert of the internationally acclaimed TRIO AGORA in Vilnius

In 2023 August 27 4 p.m. St. In St. Catherine's Church, we invite you to farewell summer, listening to a unique program of tango music performed by the international Trio Agora of talented musicians. Trio Agora" are three charismatic musicians, laureates of various prestigious international competitions, who regularly perform in European concert halls, but do not forget Lithuania as well. This is the presentation concert of Trio Agora's latest album "Hotel tango". The album was released in 2023. in June with the German record label Accentus Music.

Žilvinas Brazauskas (clarinet, Lithuania/Germany)
Natania Hoffman (cello, Italy/USA/Belgium)
Robertas Lozinskis (piano, Lithuania)

Trio Agora presents a completely new, original version of Astor Piazzolla's "Four Seasons" created by the trio's clarinetist Žilvins Brazauskas, as well as a work dedicated to the Canadian/American composer Joel Hoffman's ensemble "Foxtrot Romeo Juliet Hotel Tango" and a number of other original arrangements, including the origins of tango: mazurkas, waltzes and contradances, as well as the works of academic composers I. Stravinsky and M. Ravel: "Tango" for solo piano and "Pièce en Forme de Habanera" for cello and piano.

The trio's mission is to share their admiration for tango music, which has flourished for a century and a half and continues to shape us, just as we do it. Where did tango come from and how many people and cultures have been captivated by the rhythms, songs and dances of this genre? Trio Agora aims to express the vast scope of tango music by selecting pieces, each of which has a unique history and contributed to the evolution of this style. This album is a kind of international manifestation of tango, taking listeners from the salons of Paris to the small streets of Buenos Aires, through the United States, Latin America, West Africa and Eastern Europe. Many of the pieces presented are like narratives that pay homage to the original compositions in the form of arrangements and transcriptions.

THE PROGRAM

Antonio Lauro (1917-1986), 4 Valses Venezolanos - III. Natalia, "Vals Criollo" (arranged by Paquito D'Rivera)
Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963), La Comparsa (arranged by Mindaugas Stumbras)
Richard Galliano (1950-), La Valse à Margaux (arranged by Žilvinas Brazauskas)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), Pièce en forme de habanera (arranged by Paul Bazelaire)
Carlos Gardel (1890-1935), El Día Que Me Quieras (arranged by Karolis Šarkus)
Rosendo Mendizábal (1868-1913), El Entrerriano (arranged by Žilvinas Brazauskas)
Joel Hoffman (1953-), Foxtrot Romeo Juliet Hotel Tango

Intermission

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), Tango
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (arranged by Žilvinas Brazauskas)
Verano Porteño
Otoño Porteño
Invierno Porteño
Primavera Porteña

Trio Agora is a dynamic ensemble that is quickly establishing itself as a leader in its genre. In 2018, the trio was loved by listeners for their innovation and enthusiasm. won the "Rubinstein Chamber Music Competition" in Dusseldorf and in 2021 won awards in "Ton & Erklärung" and "Ysaÿe" competitions. The trio regularly performs new works by contemporary composers dedicated to the ensemble as well as their own transcriptions and arrangements. He also presents classical and romantic repertoire in the most important European halls.

The first album "Youth" was released in 2017. This program focused on early works by Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and Debussy. in 2020 in November, the ensemble released their second album "Connecting Identities" with the record company "Odradek Records". This album was dedicated to celebrating the centenary of Lithuanian Independence, it featured works by Lithuanian composers inspired by Lithuanian folklore, newly written for the ensemble. in 2022 the trio received support from the Neustart Kultur Foundation (Germany) for the recording of their third album dedicated to the history and dissemination of tango in the 19th and 20th centuries. This album was released in 2023. in collaboration with the German record label Accentus Music.

Dedicated to the education of young performers, the trio resides at the National Student Academy (NMA), where since 2018. works closely with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla. The ensemble regularly performs in Europe, in halls and festivals such as ENSEMS in Spain, Mecklenburg-Vorpormmern Festspiele, Duisburg Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic and Konzerthaus in Germany, Amici della Musica Firenze and Auditorium del Parco in Italy, Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, Schiermonnikoog Festival in the Netherlands.

The ensemble strives for dialogue and interpersonal connection with its audience and constantly experiments with the possibilities and limits of its genre, remaining faithful to the ethos of chamber music. Based in Berlin, Trio Agora graduated in 2022 with the highest honors in chamber music at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where they studied with Eberhard Feltz and Martin Spangenberg. Among other ensemble mentors: Heime Müller, Sabine Meyer and Sonia Simmenauer.