LNSO, winners of international competitions Javier Comesaña Barrera and Samuel Lee

Performers: LITHUANIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Modestas Pitrėnas) Soloist JAVIER COMESAÑA BARRERA (violin, Spain) Conductor and Soloist SAMUEL LEE (viola, South Korea) Programme: MAX BRUCH – "Romance" for viola and orchestra, Op. 85, F major OTTORINO RESPIGHI – "Concerto gregoriano" for violin and orchestra, P. 135 FELIX MENDELSSOHN – Symphony No. 5 ("Reformation"), Op. 107, D minor The concert brings together winners of international competitions, young talented musicians – Javier Comesaña Barrera, laureate of the Jascha Heifetz Violin Competition in Vilnius, the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover, other competitions, and the "Prinz von Hessen-Preis" awarded by the Kronberg Academy, and Samuel Lee, winner of the prestigious Malko Conducting Competition, among other achievements. Born in Seville, J. Comesaña Barrera is already known to the Vilnius audience. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras from various countries (Barcelona, Seville, Hanover, Poznań, Milan, Mantua, Bern, Stuttgart, Lithuanian National, and others), under the baton of Pablo González, Ivan Monighetti, Modestas Barkauskas, Modestas Pitrėnas, as well as Plácido Domingo, András Schiff, Péter Eötvös, and others. The violinist also performs as a chamber musician in various ensembles. J. Comesaña Barrera plays a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin made in 1765, on loan from the "Fritz-Behrens-Stiftung" foundation. Among other various competition laurels, the young maestro S. Lee won the prestigious Malko Competition and has collaborated with dozens of the world's most renowned orchestras. In the 2024–2025 season, he served as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (USA). His broad conducting spectrum is also reflected in his passionate advocacy for contemporary music. He also participated in Riccardo Muti's Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo, where he conducted G. Verdi's opera "Rigoletto". Interestingly, S. Lee began his musical journey and studies as an excellent violist, performing as a soloist with orchestras in Germany, South Korea, etc., and playing in the "Novus" string quartet. Thus, in this concert, he will appear not only as a conductor but also as a soloist, performing and conducting Max Bruch's "Romance" for viola and orchestra, a piece of extraordinary beauty, known as a pearl of the global viola repertoire.

Adresas: Lietuvos nacionalinė filharmonija