News

On November 6, at the church U Salvatora in Prague, a concert, The Aidija of Lithuania, was held in the celebration of the 80thbirthday of the renowned Lithuanian composer Bronius Kutavičius. The music that incorporated compositions by Kutavičius, as well as other Lithuanian composers (Onuté Norbutaité, Nijolé Sinkevičiūté, Kristina Vasiliauskaité, Antanas Kunčina, Vaclovas Augustinas), was performed by the Aidija chamber choir led by Romualdas Gražinis.

The performance was a part of the 10th season of the annual Ambassadors' Concert Series and was attended by ambassadors, and members of the diplomatic corps, institutions cultivating musical culture, as well as members of the Lithuanian community in Czech Republic, and Lithuanian culture enthusiasts.

Kutavičius’ music was also heard on Nov. 5 in Hradec Kralove where it appeared as part of the program of the Music Forum Hradec Kralove festival. The concert, held at the Hussite Church of St. Ambrose, incorporated three oratorios of Kutavičius: “The Magic Circle of Sanskrit” (1990), “From the Yotvingian Stone” (1983), and “The Last of Pagan Rites” (1978). Lithuanian choir Aidija, accompanied by the local Hradec Kralove children’s choir Jitro, managed to fill the church full of contemporary music lovers who received the performance with standing ovations.

The Hradec Kralove concert was broadcasted live by Vltava radio, which a week prior to the event gave its audience a chance to hear Kutavičius’ music on their evening programs.

Aidija concert in Hradec Kralove was patroned by the Embassy of Lithuania in Prague, and organised by the acknowledged Czech musicologist Vitezslav Mikeš together with the Hradec Kralove philharmonic. The Prague performance was organized by the Embassy in cooperation with the non-profit organisation Musica Clasica Libera. Concerts were sponsored by the Lithuanian Cultural Support Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.