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 deeply personal and cherished program dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Arvo Pärt, one of the most prominent contemporary composers. Structured on the principle of a mirror reflection, the program takes its name from one of the featured works: “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Mirror in the Mirror).

At the edges of the program lie two movements from French composer Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time”. This piece is permeated with profound energy, spirituality, and at times even ecstasy—born of the extraordinary and rather tragic circumstances of the composer’s imprisonment in a labor camp in Görlitz (in present-day Germany). Juxtaposed alongside 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 instrument “viola da gamba” and Alfred Schnittke’s Sonata for Cello No. 1. Here, a striking contrast emerges between the music of Bach—heavily rooted in faith and portraying humanity’s pursuit of the ideal and divine—and Schnittke’s absolute realism, which is thrown almost directly in the face, revealing a world seen as if through a shattered mirror. As the focal point for the center of the program, we chose the ultimate contrast to the music and sounds themselves: silence—namely, John Cage’s “4’33”. We interpret this as a moment to find calm and listen to how the music that has already played resonates within.

Though the program features only two compositions by Arvo Pärt himself, all the surrounding music unveils his spiritual and artistic universe: from Messiaen’s luminous spirituality and Bach’s architectural symmetry to Schnittke’s radical dualities and Cage’s endeavor to hear the meaning of silence. Constructed as a palindrome—a mirror in a mirror—the program seemingly circles back on itself, returning to its own beginning, and allowing listeners 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) under Prof. Roland Krüger, and at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin (Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler), where she studied with Prof. Kirill Gerstein.

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

Equally at home in classical and contemporary repertoire, the pianist is particularly drawn to projects that explore the expressive possibilities of her instrument. Her debut album, “Lamentate”, featuring the music of Arvo Pärt performed with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, earned high critical acclaim from “BBC Music Magazine”, “Pizzicato”, and “Diapason”, while Pärt himself offered this praise: “[She is] a pianist who, despite her young age, has already reached remarkable musical maturity. I value her musical sensitivity in performing my works.”

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

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

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

Edward King is also frequently invited to serve on juries and artistic committees. He is an impassioned educator who leads masterclasses and seminars worldwide, and supports music education initiatives in Italy, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, and within Indigenous communities of New Zealand.

He is a founder 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 by Robert König in 2017.

For these artists, Paliesius Manor is far more than just another hall—not only have they experienced countless meaningful and cherished performances at the Manor, but they also celebrated their own wedding here.