Pazaislis Music Festival

Pazaislis Music festival, one of the greatest classical music events in Lithuania, offers variety of concerts by world-famous performers and premières by Lithuanian composers throughout the three summer months. Since the first Pazaislis Music Festival concert in 1996 many of the world’s music elite have visited Lithuania. Festival’s eclectic program satisfies even the most sophisticated tastes—from ancient music to jazz, from subtle chamber music to grand vocal instrumental pieces, from new pieces of modern music premières to impressive Lithuanian drama performances in the vicinity of Kaunas Castle.

 

In 2016 for the first time the bell music sounded at Pazaislis music festival. Four carillon music concerts "The Sounding Stories of the Bells," initiated by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lithuania Bert Van Der Lingen and sponsored by the Kazickas Family Foundation and the Netherlands Embassy in Vilnius, were offered in three major cities across Lithuania. Famous carillonists Auke de Boer, Bauke Reitsma, Gerda Peters ir Gijsbert Kok from the Netherlands performed at in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda.

 

In 2017 the project grew and it reached the audiences not just in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda but also in few smaller cities of Lithuania. As following the Dutch traditions, besides carillon, organ music concerts were organised. The other beautiful aspect of such international collaboration is Dutch musicians including pieces by the Lithuanian composers into their repertoire. They performed such special arrangements in the Netherlands and in summer 2017 Lithuanian audience had an opportunity to hear them as well.

 

Carillons we have in Lithuania today were built in the Netherlands and installed by their masters. The Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lithuania had a dream to organize the carillon music concert series during his term in Lithuania.

 

Carillon concerts are offered free of charge.
Carillonist Auke de Boer and his wife Janny, composer Joseph Johannes Visser, pianist Lina Krepstaite and Dutch ambassador H.E. Mr. Bert van der Lingen 2016
Carillonist Auke de Boer and his wife Janny, composer Joseph Johannes Visser, pianist Lina Krepstaite and Dutch ambassador H.E. Mr. Bert van der Lingen 2016
Juozas Gudzinevicius, Pazaislis Music Festival director, Neila Baumiliene, KFF New York Office Executive director, Justinas Krepsta, Kaunas State Philharmonic Society director 2015
Juozas Gudzinevicius, Pazaislis Music Festival director, Neila Baumiliene, KFF New York Office Executive director, Justinas Krepsta, Kaunas State Philharmonic Society director 2015