Making their second appearance in Kaunas, the world-renowned Huelgas Ensemble has been a leader in early music performance for over five decades. Known for their deep scholarship and vivid interpretations, the ensemble specialises in vocal polyphony from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
They are regular guests at prestigious international early music festivals, often performing in churches, monasteries, and historic chapels—venues whose architecture echoes and enhances the complex textures of the music.
This program, The Dream of Poliphilus, is not about the Renaissance, but about the beauty. Its title is inspired by the 15th-century book Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, attributed to Francesco Colonna. The dreamlike narrative describes Poliphilus imaginary search for his beloved Polia and offers lush depictions of architecture, gardens, music, dance, literature, rituals, and above all—love. It celebrates harmony, elegance, and the enduring ideal of aesthetic perfection.
Paul Van Nevel, the ensemble’s artistic director, notes that the spirit of this Renaissance work connects eras and cultures: from the Middle Ages (Petrarch) to Renaissance (madrigalists and polyphonists), and into the 19th century of Franz Liszt, who was himself fascinated with antiquity.
Through the polyphonic masterpieces chosen for this concert, listeners are invited into a reflective sonic world—a space of spiritual beauty shaped by the voices of centuries past, in the unique acoustics of the historic Bank of Lithuania in Kaunas building.

In accordance with the rules of the Bank of Lithuania, representatives of the Bank of Lithuania are entitled to carry out a search of the audience and their personal belongings, and persons suspected of being drunk or under the influence of psychoactive substances are not allowed to attend the event.