St. Peter's Church in Bosau, Germany - 2011

The Duet of Sergej Tcherepanov and Darius Klišys- Musikalische Raritäten

On August 20, 2011, the Lithuanian hornpipe was introduced to the German public at St. Peter's Church in Bosau (Schleswig-Holstein). Darius Klišys and the organ and harpsichord virtuoso, a teacher from the Lübeck Music Academy Sergej Tcherepanov prepared a joint programme Musikalische Raritäten (Musical Rarity). In the two part programme the birbynė (reed-pipe), accompanied by the harpsichord, organ and grand piano, performed the music from different historical periods ranging between the late Renaissance and the 21st century.

The first part included the dance music of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the late Renaissance (17th century), an Italian composer Dario Castello's Sonata Prima from the early Baroque, The Royal Concerto no. 1 by the French Francois Couperin of the late Baroque, and other pieces.

In the second part, the audience listened to the 19th century music by the Norwegian and Spanish composers Carl Nielsen and Enrique Granados. Modern Lithuanian music was also performed: pieces by Vytautas V. Barkauskas, Feliksas Bajoras and Valentinas Bagdonas.

During the concert, Klišys explained about the birbynė (reed-pipe), an authentic Lithuanian instrument, how it appeared and developed.

Dario Castello - Sonata Prima  

Vilnius City Hall - Kaunas Philharmony - Marinampole College Hall - 2011

Lithuanian Composers' Union Celebrating 70th Anniversary!

Performers:

Programme:

Watch/Download video

Broniaus Kutavičiaus - Crane Dances:
Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4

South Africa - 2010
Finland - 2011

Exhibition „Waters - Vesia - Amanzi“

In 2009, Clare Loveday, a South African-based composer, was approached by fine artist Jill Trappler to write music in response to a series of abstract paintings. The paintings were to form part of a group of work by South African and Finnish artists on a theme of water. While some artists chose politically - or socially-motivated themes, Jill chose to explore water as a sensual and sensory experience.

When Clare received the first painting from Jill, titled „I see the water dreaming/I see the dreams of water“, its gentle movement and contemplative flow seemed perfect for an instrument she had only recently encountered: the birbynė. So she contacted Darius, and the work began. Over the next 6 months, four paintings emerged from Trappler's easel.

Each painting explored a different sensual aspect of water, evoking the push and pull of mountain stream, the rippled movement of sun through water, the rush and flow of a river running over rocks, or the quietness of a shaded rock pool. Each piece for birbynė was written in response to a particular painting. Clare strove to capture the mood she felt through a painting, or a feeling it evoked in her. Darius then added his interpretation to the music, adding another layer to the artwork and the sensuality of the water in the paintwork.

The objective is to draw the viewer of the art deeper into the painting through the music. The viewer will look at the painting while listening to the corresponding birbynė piece on an i-Pod or similar device. In addition, a video is being made of each painting, the corresponding music playing while the camera, like a viewer, explores different aspects of the artwork.

AVA Gallery, Cape Town, 8 - 31 March 2010
artSPACE durban, Durban, 19 April - 8 May 2010
Bag Factory, Johannesburg, 13 October - 3 November 2010
Kuopio Art Museum, 25 February - 15 May 2011
Gallery Rantakasarmi, Helsinki, 26 May - 19 June 2011

Clare Loveday - Floating Underwater in The Shade  

Chicago 2010
Lemont Performing Arts Center

Dainava Lithuanian Chorale and Darius Klišys

Dainava, a Chicago-based Lithuanian chorale, has prepared a special musical program featuring an authentic Lithuanian instrument, a reed pipe called a „birbyne“, in a unique program combining an original Lithuanian woodwind instrument and choral music traditions. The performance was held on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. at the Lemont High School Performing Arts Center.

„To my knowledge, it is the first attempt to fuse reed-pipe and choral music traditions in Lithuania's music history,“ said Darius Polikaitis Darius Polikaitis Dainava's music director. The birbyne was played by Darius Klišys, who has performed at Carnegie Hall.

Its „sound is very similar to the human voice,“ said Polikaitis. „Sometimes listening to the reedpipe seems like nature spirits are talking to you.“ Dainava performed a new work for choir and birbyne written especially for this performance by prominent Lithuanian composer Nijole Sinkeviciute. Darius Klišys and chorale also performed works by Renaissance, Baroque and Contemporary music composers.

Performers:

Chamber Ensemble:

Watch/Download video

Enrique Granados - Andaluza 
Feliksas Bajoras - Pieces for violin and piano 
Jan Benda - Grave 
Nijolė Sinkevičiūtė - Švilpynė

New York (USA) - 2009
Carnegie Hall

YouTube Symbhony Orchestra http://www.youtube.com/symphony2009

In April 2009, Darius Klišys became the winner of YouTube Symphony Orchestra and was invited to participate at the YTSO summit, and to perform at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

96 winning players were selected from among the more than 3,000 musicians who submitted audition videos by a judging panel comprised of the world's most renowned orchestras.

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra assembled by open auditions hosted by YouTube, the London Symphony Orchestra and several other worldwide partners. Launched on December 1, 2008, it is the first-ever online collaborative orchestra. The open call for entries was until January 28, 2009. Musicians wishing to audition had to post a video of themselves playing the „Internet Symphony No. 1 'Eroica'“, by Tan Dun, along with a second talent video of themselves playing a preset audition piece to YouTube. Musicians of all cultures were encouraged to audition, as even if a particular instrument was not specifically scored in the original score, a musician was allowed to simply play a part in the same pitch range as their native instrument. Judges selected finalists and alternates was from January 29 to February 13, 2009 and the finalists were voted on by the YouTube community from February 14 to February 22, 2009.

Winners were announced on March 2, and were invited to travel to New York in April 2009, to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and play at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. As of the concert date 15 million YouTube viewers had watched the audition tapes. The concert featured a series of short pieces that had been rehearsed for several days, as well as guest soloists Joshua Roman, Gil Shaham, Measha Brueggergosman, Yuja Wang, and classical / electronica composer Mason Bates. Three children tutored for the event by pianist Lang Lang played a one piano / six hand arrangement of a Rachmaninoff waltz.

The Tan Dun submissions were compiled into a mashup video premiered at Carnegie Hall on April 15, then hosted on the „YouTube Symphony Channel“ as of April 16.

Warsaw 2008, The Royal Castle
Lithuania 2008, The Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Marijampolė and Kaunas

17th - 18th century European Court Music
Concerts with early music ensemble Concerto Polacco

September 26, 2008. The Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Marijampolė [Western Lithuania] and Kaunas became venues of a musical project unique in Europe - the project, which combined authentic Baroque and Lithuanian and Ukrainian folk musical instruments. Last spring it was presented with great success at the Royal Palace in Warsaw. It was dedicated to the name-day of Stanislaw August, King of Poland.

On the programme, among other musical pieces, there were two folk songs, Lithuanian and Ukrainian, in modern arrangement by Polish composers Marek Toporowski and Ryszard Borowski. Marek Toporowski performed in Lithuania together with his early music ensemble Concerto Polacco. This ensemble is known not only in Poland, but also throughout Europe. Solo performances were given by Darius Klišys (birbynė (reed-pipe), Lithuania) and a sopilka virtuoso Bożena Korczyńska (Ukraine).

Soloists:

Partner

Moments of the Concert at the Warsaw Royal Castle

Havana (Cuba) 2008
Basilica de San Francisco de Asis

XII Festival Internacional de musica electroacustica
„Primavera en la Habana 2008“

In 2008, D. Klišys was invited to perform as a solo artist (birbynė/electronics) with his project „Water Serpents“ at the 17th International Electroacoustic Music Festival „Primavera en la Habana“ in Cuba.

This project is the collaboration between renowned Lithuanian photo artist Ramūnas Danisevičius and performer/composer Darius Klišys. Compositions of the project were inspired by two remarkable artists: Paul Gaugin and Gustav Klimt.

Watch/Download video