RE:TURN | Piano Recital “Baltic Echoes”

Sounds born of silence, wind and sea. The music of M. K. Čiurlionis, B. Dvarionas, A. Remesa, P. Vasks and A. Pärt is an echo of Baltic culture and a living, unfolding story that sensitively blends tradition and the present. In the hands of pianist Monika Dars (Belgium), not only M. K. Čiurlionis’s piano miniatures but also his impressive piano sonata will come to life. Čiurlionis’s works will enter into a sensitive dialogue with music by composers from other Baltic countries — from melancholic lyricism and the fragile harmony of frozen time to dynamic, pulsating energy; from echoes of folk motifs to bold, experimental passages.***Concert programme:Z. Bružaitė: WavesP. Vasks: Music for a Summer EveningA. Pärt: Sonatina op. 1 No. 1*P. Vasks: Winter LandscapeA. Pärt: Sonatina op. 1 No. 2A. Pärt: Für AlinaM. K. Čiurlionis: Preludes*M. K. Čiurlionis: Sonata in F major, VL 155***Monika Dars is a pianist whose performances have been recognised for their artistry, virtuosity and innate musicality. She currently lives in Brussels, Belgium, and actively performs throughout Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. Her recent awards include the Joseph Darche Piano Prize in Brussels, Belgium, and second place in the Luigi Nono Chamber Music Competition in Rivoli, Italy, together with cellist Natania Hoffman. In 2018, on the 60th anniversary of the BeNeLux countries, Monika performed for the royal families at the Henry Le Boeuf Hall of Bozar in Brussels. In 2021, Monika was delighted to receive the Golden Parnassus award from the Podkarpacka Fundacja Rozwoju Kultury in Poland. In 2023, during the Stauffer Summer Music Festival, she had the honour of performing S. Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Melomania Orchestra and Seasons by G. Hollander and A. Piazzolla with the Stauffer Ensemble and P. Ziegler. Since September 2023, Monika has taught chamber music at the Royal Conservatory of Mons.