EuroLiszt Festival | “Gypsy or Franciscan?”

October 17–18 brings a truly special occasion to Paliesius Manor. We are delighted to host the inaugural international piano music festival, the “EuroLiszt Festival.” This year’s theme explores a fascinating duality: “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 event, Liszt will be revealed as a European humanist, a modernist, and a mediator of cultures—not merely a composer or an icon of pianism, but a remarkable figure who spent his life bridging different cultures, nations, artistic movements, and spiritual ideals.

Guiding this journey is the festival’s artistic director, the world-renowned pianist Mūza Rubackytė. For over three decades, she has consistently curated international projects that unite Lithuania with the broader European musical tradition. The defining purpose of her life’s work is to build a bridge between Lithuania and Europe through the art of music.

Paliesius Manor was chosen for this festival with thoughtful intent. In the 19th century, European musical culture thrived within salons, manors, and aristocratic spaces, unfolding not simply as a performance, but as a deeply social and spiritual experience. It was in exactly this kind of intimate setting that Liszt performed during his touring “Glanzzeit,” playing for monarchs, high society, and the intellectual centers of Europe. Paliesius Manor allows us to revive this cherished tradition, fostering a close relationship between performer and listener, an atmosphere of intimate listening, and a profound appreciation for chamber music. At the same time, this vibrant, world-class artistic program seeks to breathe new life into our historic manors as places of cultural heritage—a beautiful tradition lost during the Soviet era.

Mūza Rubackytė is a Lithuanian pianist, born in Lithuania and currently residing in Paris, Vilnius, and Geneva. She made her debut at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic at the age of seven, graduated from the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, and studied at the Lithuanian Conservatory (now the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre). After becoming a laureate of the All-Union Competition and winning the prestigious Liszt-Bartók Piano Competition in Budapest (1981), she became the first Lithuanian pianist to achieve international acclaim after a long hiatus. Having lost the trust of the Soviet authorities, she was deprived of her passport and the opportunity to perform abroad for seven years; however, immediately after regaining her freedom to travel, she pursued advanced studies in Paris, earned a diploma from the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and became a laureate of the Les Grands Maîtres Français international competition.

Today, the pianist performs on every continent, appearing in prestigious venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal, and Tokyo’s Casals Hall, as well as in exotic locations such 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, and the symphony orchestras of Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Lausanne, alongside various French ensembles. Her performances receive significant attention from prominent radio stations, including Radio Suisse Romande and Radio France.

At distinguished festivals, she has performed F. Liszt’s complete “Années de pèlerinage” cycle and “Transcendental Études,” and at the Montpellier Festival, she performed D. Shostakovich’s “24 Preludes and Fugues.” The composer K. Penderecki consistently invited her to perform his piano concerto “Resurrection,” dedicated to the victims of September 11.

The pianist’s repertoire includes over 40 programs, and her discography features more than 30 CDs, recognized with international awards (Grand Prix – Hungarian Liszt Society, Diapason d’Or, BBC Music Magazine).

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

M. Rubackytė is the founder and artistic director of the biennial Vilnius Piano Festival. Established in 2009 and enjoying astounding international success, the festival features performances by winners of prestigious competitions and hosts world premieres. In 2017, she initiated the national “Lisztofonija” competition, encouraging pianists to deepen their knowledge of Liszt. She is also the president of the LISZTuania Liszt Association in Lithuania, and her contributions are highly significant in an ambassadorial role for events such as the 150th anniversary of M. K. Čiurlionis’s birth (2025), the Lithuanian Season in France (2024), the Centenary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania (2018), and Vilnius – European Capital of Culture (2009).

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

Her autobiographical book, “Née sous un piano” (Born Under a Piano), was published in 2020, and the creative documentary film “Mūza” was released in 2024, earning three nominations at the Sidabrinė Gervė national film awards.

Thomas Kelly is a British pianist distinguished by his mature interpretations 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 the latter institution, he is a Benjamin Britten Fellow, holding one of the college’s highest awards.

He performs actively across the United Kingdom and Europe, participating in international competitions and festivals. In 2026, he became a finalist (one of three) at 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 has studied 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 further honed his skills in masterclasses with Yoheved Kaplinsky and William Grant Naboré.

The pianist performs actively in Hungary and abroad, taking part in international festivals and competitions. At the 2026 PianoTexas International Festival & Academy, he won the Young Artists Concerto Competition and performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, playing Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. His most notable achievements include 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), alongside other international honors. The performer is currently preparing for the 2026 International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest.

Simonas Miknius is a young-generation Lithuanian pianist and the winner of the Lisztofonija V competition. He began playing the piano at the age of seven. He graduated from the Juozas Gruodis Conservatory in Kaunas and is currently continuing 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 City Symphony Orchestra, the Vytautas Magnus University Chamber Orchestra, and other ensembles. His repertoire spans Baroque, Romantic, and contemporary piano music, with a special emphasis 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.

VU Joint Choir is a combined ensemble bringing together singers from three Vilnius University choirs: Gaudeamus, Virgo, and Pro Musica.

The VU choirs are renowned both for their individual achievements and for their collaborative programs and the KLASIKA VISIEMS project, where they present large-scale works alongside orchestras and soloists. All three VU choirs have earned laureate titles at numerous international competitions and are recognized as some of the strongest choral ensembles in Lithuania. The choirs participate in festivals worldwide and have performed in famous European concert halls, singing for audiences in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Japan. Together with Mūza Rubackytė, the VU Joint Choir performed F. Liszt’s “Via crucis” in France—a concert that was met with tremendous 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 an accompanist at the Lithuanian State Conservatory, and later served as the choirmaster of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Children’s Choir.

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

With these three choirs, R. Gelgotienė has achieved remarkable success, winning top prizes in over 30 international and national competitions, and participating in more than 50 international festivals. Audiences in over 25 European countries, as well as the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, and Japan, have listened to the choirs under her baton.

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 Lithuanian World Song Festivals and the Baltic Students’ Song Festivals “Gaudeamus,” and a choral expert-consultant for Alytus County.