Join us on May 12 for an unforgettable evening with world-renowned piano virtuoso Mūza Rubackytė, as we celebrate 250 years of American independence, 100 years of the Consulate General of Lithuania in New York, and the enduring strategic and cultural partnership between Lithuania and the United States.
In this special program, Mūza Rubackytė will bring to life works by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Lithuania’s iconic composer and painter; Raminta Šerkšnytė, one of the country’s leading contemporary composers; and Leonard Godowsky, a Lithuanian-born musician who achieved international acclaim in the United States and was celebrated among the giants of classical music.
Audiences will also enjoy interpretations of classical masterpieces by Claude Debussy and Franz Liszt, creating an evening that bridges past and present, Lithuania and the United States, tradition and innovation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mūza Rubackytė, laureate of the Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize and founder of the Vilnius Piano Music Festival, is one of Lithuania’s foremost pianists and ambassadors of its musical culture. An internationally acclaimed performer, she has appeared with leading orchestras and conductors, given recitals in prestigious halls, and collaborated with world-renowned composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki, who regularly invited her to perform his piano concerto “Resurrection”, dedicated to the victims of September 11.
Winner of major international competitions, Rubackytė is especially celebrated for her interpretations of Franz Liszt, hailed by critics as “one of the best living Liszt performers.” In recent years, she has also championed the works of Leonard Godowsky, the Lithuanian-born virtuoso, recording highly acclaimed CDs that have earned top ratings from music critics worldwide.
Her life and artistry have been documented in the autobiographical book “Née sous un piano” (“Born under the Piano”) and in the documentary film “Mūza” (2024), which was screened internationally and received three nominations for the Lithuanian cinema award “Silver Crane.” With over 40 albums to her name, Rubackytė regularly serves on international competition juries, teaches at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and leads master classes globally.
Her contributions to promoting Lithuanian music internationally have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas, the St. Christopher award, and the “Global Lithuania” award.
