A Dedication to Arvo Pärt. Presentation of the Anniversary CD “Spiegel im Spiegel”

On September 26, pianist Onutė Gražinytė and cellist Edward King return to Paliesius Manor!

The performers will present a highly personal and deeply cherished program, dedicated to commemorating the 90th anniversary of one of the most prominent contemporary composers, Arvo Pärt. The program is structured on the principle of a mirror reflection and is named after one of the featured works: “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Mirror in the Mirror).

At the edges—two movements from French composer Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time.” This work is permeated with profound energy, spirituality, and at times, sheer ecstasy, as the composer wrote it under extraordinary and quite tragic circumstances—while imprisoned in a labor camp in Görlitz (in present-day Germany). Juxtaposed as well are perhaps the two most significant chamber works by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt: “Fratres” (Brothers) and “Spiegel im Spiegel.” The central piece is embraced by J. S. Bach’s Sonata in G major for the baroque viola da gamba and Alfred Schnittke’s Cello Sonata No. 1. Here, a contrast is drawn between the faith-driven music of Bach, depicting a human striving for the ideal and the divine, and Schnittke’s absolute realism, which is almost thrown in your face, reflecting a world seen as if through a shattered mirror. As the central point for the middle of the program, we chose the ultimate contrast to music and sound—silence, namely John Cage’s “4’33.” We interpret this as a moment that allows us to find stillness and listen closely to how the music we have just heard resonates within.

Although only two of Arvo Pärt’s own works are heard in the program, all the remaining music opens up his spiritual and artistic universe: from Messiaen’s radiant spirituality and Bach’s architectural symmetry to Schnittke’s radical dualities and Cage’s attempt to hear the meaning of silence. Constructed as a palindrome—a mirror in a mirror—the program seems to come full circle, returning to itself and allowing us, through these juxtapositions, to experience or rediscover the genius of Arvo Pärt.

Born into a family of musicians in Vilnius, Lithuanian pianist Onutė Gražinytė began her piano studies at the age of five and was soon accepted into the prestigious National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art. She later continued her studies at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover) with Prof. Roland Krüger and at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler), where she studied under Prof. Kirill Gerstein.

Onutė performs worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed with ensembles such as the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Orchestre National de Lyon, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, and others. She is invited to perform at festivals across Europe, including the Moravian Autumn festival and the KlavierOlymp in Bad Kissingen.

Equally at home performing both classical and contemporary repertoire, the pianist is particularly interested in projects that explore the expressive possibilities of the piano. Her debut album, “Lamentate,” featuring the music of Arvo Pärt performed alongside the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, received widespread acclaim in BBC Music Magazine, Pizzicato, and Diapason. Pärt himself praised it: “[She is] a pianist who, despite her young age, has already reached an extraordinary musical maturity. I value her musical sensitivity in performing my works.”

Onutė Gražinytė actively performs in a duo with her husband, cellist Edward King, and is highly regarded for her creative programming and profound musical insights.

New Zealand-born cellist Edward King is a cello professor at the Leopold Mozart College of Music at the University of Augsburg. He is a laureate of the 11th Witold Lutosławski and Markneukirchen International Cello Competitions, and was awarded a special prize presented by Krzysztof Penderecki himself for his interpretation of “Divertimento” at the Penderecki International Cello Competition.

After completing his studies with James Tennant, Prof. Julius Berger, and Prof. Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt, Edward King embarked on a multifaceted career as a performer, educator, and curator. Known for his versatility and wide repertoire, he is drawn to projects that reinterpret the classical canon through historical, contemporary, and genre-crossing perspectives. His first recording of Arvo Pärt’s “Fratres,” performed together with Onutė Gražinytė, was praised by Gramophone Magazine: “This is one of the best performances I’ve heard […]; it balances on a fine line between subtlety and strength.”

Edward King is also frequently invited to juries and artistic commissions. A passionate educator, he leads masterclasses and seminars worldwide and supports music education initiatives in Italy, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, and among the indigenous communities of New Zealand.

He is a founding member of the post-genre contemporary music sextet “hear now berlin” and a member of the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra. The cellist plays a modern German cello, crafted in 2017 by Robert König.

Paliesius Manor is more than just another hall for these artists—not only have they experienced many important and deeply cherished concerts at the manor, but they also celebrated their wedding here.