EuroLiszt Festival | “Gypsy or Franciscan”

October 17–18 brings a very special occasion to Paliesius Manor! We are hosting the inaugural international piano music festival, the EuroLiszt Festival, this time exploring the theme: “Gypsy or Franciscan.” The festival’s artistic director is Mūza Rubackytė.

The festival is dedicated to Franz Liszt—one of the most brilliant creators and personalities in European musical history. Throughout the festival, Liszt will be revealed as a European humanist, a modernist, and a cultural mediator—not merely a composer or an icon of pianism, but a figure who seamlessly united different cultures, nations, artistic movements, and spiritual ideas throughout his life.

The artistic director of the festival is the world-renowned pianist Mūza Rubackytė, who for over three decades has consistently curated international projects connecting Lithuania with the European musical tradition. The essential aim of her work is to build a bridge between Lithuania and Europe through the art of music.

Paliesius Manor was not chosen for the festival by chance. In the 19th century, European musical culture thrived in salons, manors, and aristocratic spaces—not simply as a concert performance, but as a social and spiritual experience. It was precisely in such an environment that Liszt performed during the “glanzperiod” of his tours, playing for monarchs, high society, and the intellectual centers of Europe. Paliesius Manor allows us to revive this tradition: the close relationship between performer and listener, the intimacy of the audience, and the chamber-like appreciation of music. At the same time, through vibrant, professional, and international artistic content, it seeks to breathe life back into manors as spaces of cultural heritage—a tradition that was lost during the Soviet era.

Mūza Rubackytė is a Lithuanian pianist, born in Lithuania and currently residing in Paris, Vilnius, and Geneva. Making her debut at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic at the age of seven, she graduated from the M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art and studied at the Lithuanian Conservatory (now LMTA). Becoming a laureate of the All-Union Competition and winning the prestigious Liszt-Bartók Piano Competition in Budapest (1981), she was the first Lithuanian pianist in a long time to achieve international recognition. Having lost the trust of the Soviets, the pianist was deprived of her passport and the opportunity to perform abroad for seven years; however, immediately after regaining it, she pursued further studies in Paris, receiving a diploma from the École Normale de Musique de Paris and becoming a laureate of the Les Grands Maîtres Français international competition.

Today, the pianist performs on every continent, appearing in such prestigious halls as London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal, and Tokyo’s Casals Hall, as well as in such exotic locales as Morocco, Malaysia, Singapore, Mozambique, and Puerto Rico. She collaborates with renowned orchestras across Europe, the US, South America, and Asia. M. Rubackytė performs with many top-tier US orchestras and collaborates with the Santiago Teatro Municipal, Buenos Aires Teatro Colón, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Lausanne symphony orchestras, alongside various French ensembles. She garners significant attention from prominent radio stations, such as Radio Suisse Romande and Radio France.

At exclusive festivals, she has performed F. Liszt’s complete cycle *Years of Pilgrimage* (Années de pèlerinage) and the *Transcendental Études*, and at the Montpellier Festival, D. Shostakovich’s *24 Preludes and Fugues*. The composer K. Penderecki continually invited the pianist to perform his piano concerto *Resurrection*, dedicated to the memory of the victims of September 11.

The pianist’s repertoire encompasses over 40 programs, and her discography includes more than 30 CDs, which have earned international accolades (Grand Prix – Hungarian Liszt Society, Diapason d’Or, BBC Music Magazine).

M. Rubackytė is a distinguished pedagogue, a long-standing professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, an instructor of international masterclasses, and a jury member for prestigious competitions. In 2022, she was the jury chair for the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians, and in 2024, the artist-in-residence at The Gilmore Foundation.

M. Rubackytė is the founder and artistic director of the biennial Vilnius Piano Festival, launched in 2009, which enjoys astounding international success, features winners of prestigious competitions, and hosts world premieres. In 2017, on her initiative, the national Lisztofonija competition was established to encourage pianists to deepen their knowledge of Liszt. She is also the president of the Liszt association LISZTuania in Lithuania, and her contribution as an ambassador is significant in events such as the 150th anniversary of the birth of M. K. Čiurlionis (2025), the Lithuanian Season in France (2024), the Centenary of Lithuanian Independence (2018), and Vilnius – European Capital of Culture (2009).

The pianist is a laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts (2006) and has been awarded state orders and medals. Recognized with the titles of LT Identity (2006) and Lithuanian Woman of the Year (2014), she is the first recipient of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic’s award—the honorary badge “I Serve Music” (2021). In 2012, she was presented with the Hungarian Ministry of Culture’s Pro Hungarica prize, and in 2024, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary for her contributions to Hungarian culture.

In 2020, her autobiographical book *Née sous un piano* (Born Under a Piano) was published, and 2024 saw the premiere of the creative documentary film *Mūza*, nominated in three categories at the Silver Crane awards.

Thomas Kelly is a British pianist distinguished by his mature interpretation of Franz Liszt and romantic piano music. He studied at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and the Royal College of Music in London. At this college, he is a Benjamin Britten Fellow—a laureate of one of the institution’s highest honors.

He actively performs in the United Kingdom and Europe, participating in international competitions and festivals. In 2026, he became a finalist (one of three) in the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht. The musician also reached the finals of the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2021, won second prize at the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition in 2022, and became a laureate in competitions such as Pianale International, Kharkiv Assemblies, Lucca Virtuoso e Bel Canto, and the Theodor Leschetizky Competition. In 2024, he received the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Rose Bowl.

Attila Szaniszló is a Hungarian pianist who stands out for his mature interpretations of Franz Liszt’s works. Born in 2005 in Karcag (Hungary), he grew up in Romania, and since the age of thirteen, he has been studying at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He is currently pursuing his bachelor’s studies in the classes of professors Kálmán Dáfai and Gábor Farkas, and has also honed his skills in masterclasses with Yoheved Kaplinsky and William Grant Naboré.

The pianist actively performs in Hungary and abroad, participating in international festivals and competitions. In 2026, at the international PianoTexas International Festival & Academy, he won the Young Artists Concerto Competition and appeared with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, performing Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Among his most prominent achievements are the Grand Prix and first place at the International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists (2024), first place at the Orbetello International Piano Competition (2022), the Junior Prima Award (2025), and other international accolades. The performer is currently preparing for the 2026 International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest.

Simonas Miknius is a Lithuanian pianist of the younger generation and the winner of the Lisztofonija V competition. He began playing the piano at the age of seven. Having graduated from the Kaunas J. Gruodis Conservatory, he continues his studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He has performed with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, the Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, the Vytautas Magnus University Chamber Orchestra, and other ensembles. His repertoire encompasses baroque, romantic, and contemporary piano music, with a special focus on the works of Franz Liszt.

The pianist has won second place and a special prize at the International F. Chopin Youth Competition in Poland, the Grand Prix at the Music Without Borders competition in Lithuania, third place at the César Franck International Piano Competition in Brussels, and first place at La Note Céleste in Paris.

The VU Joint Choir is a combined ensemble formed by the singers of three Vilnius University choirs (Gaudeamus, Virgo, and Pro Musica).

The VU choirs are renowned both for their individual choral achievements and for their joint programs and projects, such as CLASSICS FOR ALL, where the choirs present large-scale works alongside orchestras and soloists. All three VU choirs have earned laureate titles in numerous international competitions and are recognized as some of the strongest choirs in Lithuania. The ensembles participate in festivals worldwide, perform in famous European halls, and have sung for audiences in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Japan. In France, the VU Joint Choir performed F. Liszt’s *Via crucis* alongside Mūza Rubackytė—a concert that was met with resounding success.

The VU Joint Choir is led by conductor Rasa Gelgotienė, the artistic director and chief conductor of the Vilnius University choir Pro Musica. While still a student, R. Gelgotienė worked as a concertmaster at the Lithuanian State Conservatory, and later as the choirmaster of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Children’s Choir.

She currently also leads the other two Vilnius University choirs—the girls’ choir Virgo and the academic choir Gaudeamus.

With these three choirs, R. Gelgotienė has achieved great success, winning awards in more than 30 international and national competitions, and participating in over 50 international festivals. The choirs under her baton have been heard by listeners in over 25 European countries, as well as in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Japan.

R. Gelgotienė is also a member of the presidium of the Lithuanian Choral Union, a member of the creative groups for the Song Festivals, a conductor for the World Lithuanian Song Festivals and the Baltic States Students’ Song Festivals “Gaudeamus,” and an expert-consultant for choirs in the Alytus County.