Kaunas Kantata 30 Sept-01 Oct 2022

September 30 – October 1, Žalgiris Arena will become a labyrinth of music and visual stories, where the audience will be able to choose for themselves which sound or artist to listen to and which image to watch.  This is Kaunas Cantata, an immersive musical experience created especially for Kaunas!

Kaunas Cantata is a collaborative project created by two Litvaks – visual artist Jenny Kagan (UK) and composer Philip Miller (SAR). The concert will be performed by over 300 musicians and artists from all over the world. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of the unique event!

This immersive music piece was created in collaboration with Lithuanian performers of various genres.

The cantata will be performed by:
soloist Rafailas Karpis (tenor),
soloist Agnė Stančikaitė (soprano),
soloist Steponas Zonys (bariton),
soloist Tshegofatso Moeng (SAR) (tenor),
reciters Bella Shirin and Violeta Rakauskaitė- Shtromas,
Kaunas music ensemle „Ainiai“,
folklore groups „Ratilėlis“, „Kadujo”,
Kaunas city Symphony Orchestra (principal conductor Constantine Orbelian, director Algimantas Treikauskas),
Kaunas State Choir (artistic director ir principal conductor Robertas Šervenikas),
Kaunas brass orchestra „Ąžuolynas“ (principal conductor Giedrius Vaznys),
Student String Quartor of Vytautas Magnus University,
Vytautas Magnus University choir „Vivere Cantus“ (conductor Rolandas Daugėla),

Choir of the school of sacral music „Cantores David“ (conductor Mindaugas Radzevičius),
Choir of Juozas Naujalis music high school (conductor Rolandas Daugėla),
Choir „Cantate Domino“ (conductor Rolandas Daugėla),
Choir „Gintaras“ (conductor Jovita Kulakauskienė),
Sejny Theatre Klezmer Orchestra  (Poland, director Michal Moniuszko),
Music arrangement, sound sampling – Jievaras Jasinskis,
Stage director – Chris Baldwin (Great Britain/Bulgaria),
Sound designer – Kęstutis Dulinskas,
Projections – Tomas Brazys,
Light designer – Lukas Zaveckas,
Stage management – Linas Kazlauskas, Renata Krapikaitė,
Producer – Ina Pukelytė,
Conductor of the Kantata – Karolis Variakojis,
Special thanks to David Wolfswinkel and Tshegofatso Moeng for additional orchestration.

The work was inspired by personal testimonials, memories, and a rich and multifaceted world of sound. Its creators ask: What does it mean to look into the face of “the other” and confront ourselves, and to look directly into the face of our own humanity? The music and songs featured in this project are a way to help us find commonality, discover shared bonds among painful stories, and build a new relationship with a controversial history. “In Kaunas Kantata we hear a multitude of voices. We listen to songs in different tongues and in different spaces. We experience moments of harmony and dissonance, cacophony and silence. And those moments when sound becomes one”, says composer Philip Miller. His music currently accompanies William Kentridge’s exhibition “That Which We Do Not Remember” in Kaunas.

The works spoken are from these witnesses and their testimonials:

Henny Fletcher Aronson, Galinis, Antanina Garmutė, Dalia Grinkevičiūtė, Siegfried Gronau, Natalija Gudonytė, Norbutus Jokubauskas, Pranas Jurkus, Margaret Kagan, Nijolė Lelkaitė Dov Levin, Rytė Merkytė, Jekaterina Minkevičienė, Juozas Mozūraitis, Tybie Orlin, Sulamif Shreyber Zhabinskaya, Myra Sklarew, Marytė Tiesnienė, Irena Veisaitė, Thomas Venclova, Aldona Žeibien.

Kaunas Kantata will be a walking experience, but for people with mobility problems seating possibilities will be provided. The duration of the work is 1 hour.

Venue of the event: Žalgiris Arena, Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50

IMPORTANT. Paid event. You can buy tickets here.

Organizers: Kaunas 2022

Illiustration: © Jenny Kagan