On June 20, the 30th Pažaislis Music Festival will arrive at the Rietavas Cultural Centre. It’s not uncommon for the works of genius composers to inspire artists from completely different musical genres—even decades or centuries later. We’ve seen jazz interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach, Maurice Ravel, and even the so-called “untouchable” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In Lithuania, M.K. Čiurlionis holds a similar place of reverence, and it’s no surprise that his preludes and symphonic poems have long inspired jazz musicians. In this unique concert, Jazzing Čiurlionis, the audience will experience a rare and unexpected blend: the voices of the Kaunas State Choir interwoven with the instrumental colours of the Bazarai Brothers Jazz Trio.

The program will feature M.K. Čiurlionis’s original choral compositions and his harmonisations of Lithuanian folk songs, performed by the choir. These works will then serve as inspiration and thematic material for the jazz trio’s improvisations—inviting the audience into the vast, immersive soundscapes of M.K. Čiurlionis’s artistic world.

All three Bazaras brothers are trained pianists and multi-instrumentalists, which adds an element of surprise to the concert—anything might happen! Ensuring the program’s artistic unity and direction, the Kaunas State Choir will be conducted by its artistic director and chief conductor, Professor Robertas Šervenikas.