Two jazz musicians will meet at Paliesius Manor—Lithuanian saxophonist Kęstutis Vaiginis and Polish pianist Kuba Stankiewicz.

Kęstutis Vaiginis is one of Lithuania’s most prominent jazz saxophonists and composers, continually introducing his listeners and fans to new musical projects and creative partners.

His talent as a composer is reflected in the impressive geography of his creative journeys. Together with various ensembles, he has performed his music not only in Lithuania, but also in the Netherlands, Spain, France, the US, Germany, Turkey, Brazil, India, South Korea, China, Japan, Malaysia, Scotland, and other countries.

The artist has also written music for big bands, and has played his own compositions with the German National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

In his work, K. Vaiginis weaves together modern jazz and elements of academic music, drawing upon the traditions of bebop, Latin, and Afro music.

“His vision is subtle and provocative, rooted in a respect for tradition, yet always looking forward”—this is how the renowned American saxophonist Steve Wilson described Kęstutis’s music.

His past and present stage partners include Alex Sipiagin, David Berkman, Dave Kikoski, Ed Howard, Donald Edwards, Mike Stern, Dave Allen, Adam Cruz, Randal Corsen, Joonas Haavisto, Barbara Dennerlein, Hernan Romero, Deniss Pashkevich, as well as musicians from Indonesia, South Korea, and Italy.

As a bandleader and guest artist with various ensembles, he has appeared at North Sea Jazz, at prestigious jazz festivals in Rotterdam, London, Ottawa, Cape Town, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and elsewhere, and at New York’s legendary Blue Note club, touring across four continents.

The musician’s discography features six original albums, recorded with the participation of US jazz luminaries. K. Vaiginis’s works are also included in several Lithuanian music compilations. The performer is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, the recipient of the European Cultural Foundation’s Europamusicale prize, and the winner of the Birštonas Jazz Festival Grand Prix (2010).

Kuba Stankiewicz is a Wrocław-born Polish jazz pianist and arranger whose international concert career began with studies at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. In 1990, he graduated with a degree in piano performance, later winning the Oscar Peterson Award and becoming a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition in Washington, D.C. In the early 1990s, K. Stankiewicz toured the United States with the world-renowned Artie Shaw Orchestra.

Upon returning to Poland, the pianist recorded the album “Northern Song,” which Jazz Forum magazine named the best Polish jazz recording of 1993. Over more than two decades of concert and studio work, he has played with such jazz greats as Art Farmer, Scott Hamilton, Sheila Jordan, and Harvie Swartz, as well as with prominent Polish jazz musicians.

The legacy of twentieth-century film composers holds a special place in K. Stankiewicz’s repertoire. His album “The Music of Victor Young,” recorded with two-time Grammy-winning drummer Peter Erskine and Grammy-nominated bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz, was released worldwide by Warner Classics. The pianist has also recorded albums dedicated to Oscar-winning Polish film composers Bronisław Kaper and Henryk Vars.

K. Stankiewicz’s musical signature is distinguished by a delicate sound, a profound ability to evoke moods, and the cohesive development of his improvisations. His jazz arrangements also reveal classical music traditions—the pianist has uniquely interpreted the themes of Fryderyk Chopin, infusing them with a fresh, jazz-infused resonance.

The meeting of these two musicians at Paliesius Manor promises an extraordinary musical journey, weaving together the language of contemporary jazz, subtle improvisation, and diverse musical traditions.