Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinė filharmonija) also known by its abbreviation LNPS, is a national cultural institution and the largest and oldest state-owned concert organisation in

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

headquartered in the nations capital of Vilnius. The philharmonic specialises in a diverse range of music types including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, contemporary and classical, organising regular tours throughout Lithuania and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

History

The current building of the Philharmonic Society was built in 1899–1902 and it was intended to be a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

. In 1940, a ''State Philharmonic'' was established and it has operated continuously since then with the exception of 1943. The society was designated a national cultural institution in July 1998.

Activities

Currently, the society organizes festivals in Lithuania, including the Vilnius Festival, Nakties Serenados (Night Serenades) in

Palanga Palanga (; bat-smg, Palonga; pl, Połąga; german: Polangen) is a seaside resort town in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest summer resort in Lithuania and has sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long ...

, and the Kuršių Nerija in Neringa, along with concert series in Nida, Juodkrantė, and Palanga. Among the musical agencies it works with are the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the M.K. Čiurlionis String Quartet, the Vilnius String Quartet, and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

. Its international activities include the sponsorship of concerts abroad and those of visiting musicians and orchestras, music exchange programs, and membership in EFA ( European Festivals Association), ISPA (International Society of Performing Arts), Nordic-Baltic Association of State Concert Institutions, and PEARLE (European League of the Performing Arts Employers' Association). The Society's headquarters are a historic building in

Vilnius Old Town The Old Town of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus senamiestis, pl, Stare Miasto w Wilnie, be, Стары горад у Вільнюсе, russian: Старый город в Вильнюсe), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in both Norther ...

, which previously was used to hold the

Great Seimas of Vilnius The Great Seimas of Vilnius ( lt, Didysis Vilniaus Seimas, also known as the ''Great Assembly of Vilnius'', the ''Grand Diet of Vilnius'', or the ''Great Diet of Vilnius'') was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 (November 21–22, 19 ...

in 1905. Performances are held in its Concert Hall and Chamber Hall.

Selected recordings

* Camille Sain-Saëns, Piano concerto n°5, Mūza Rubackyté piano, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hanns Martin Schneidt and Piano concerto n°2 (conducted by

Alain Pâris Alain Pâris (born 22 November 1947) is a French conductor and musicologist. Biography Born in Paris, Alain Pâris was trained as a pianist and has a law degree. He studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux, Paul Paray and Georg Solti and won the ...

). Live record. CD Doron music 2014

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 1940 establishments in Lithuania Performing groups established in 1940 Music organizations based in Lithuania