“Richard’s Women”

On October 24 at Paliesius Manor, three creators will present the concert program “Richard’s Women”.

They will perform the music of German innovators Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, who composed during the Romantic and early Modernist periods—well-known pieces performed for the first time in Lithuania, revealing a portrait of a woman through the stylistic methods of these eras. The program features opera excerpts, chamber music masterpieces, and works for violin and piano filled with virtuosity, maturity, and feminine sensitivity.

Soprano Kristina Zmailaitė earned her Master of Arts degree at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. A freelance artist since 2000, she sings at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater, Kaunas State Musical Theater, Klaipėda State Musical Theater, and Panevėžys Musical Theater. She frequently participates in international music festivals in Lithuania, including the International Mykolas Oginskis Festival and the Pažaislis Music Festival. Since 2015, she has been a co-organizer of the St. George’s Art Season festival in Marijampolė.

Over 23 years in the theater and music field, she has participated in more than 20 opera and operetta productions, performed numerous oratorios, and prepared several successful concert programs. She has collaborated with J. Domarkas, G. Rinkevičius, J. Aleksa, M. Staškus, S. Domarkas, J. Geniušas, M. Barkauskas, and other Lithuanian conductors, as well as with A. Anissimov, A. D’Anto, and S. Goeckeritz. Her repertoire spans from Baroque to modern music. The singer has also presented several world premieres by Lithuanian composers.

Kristina Zmailaitė actively participates in masterclasses (with Katia Ricciarelli, Waldemar Wild, Paolo di Napoli, Michael Paul, Elena Kerl) and has worked as an educator with children and adults for seven years. Since 2019, she has been a vocal teacher (chair of the methodology group) at the Vilnius Karoliniškės Music School.

In recent years, pianist Milda Umbrusevičiūtė has performed solo programs at St. James’s Church, the Christopher Summer Festival, the Rudolf Steiner Haus hall, and the festivals “Pasaulio balsai”, “Lietuvos pianisčių pavasaris”, and “Gelgaudiškio muzikiniai penktadieniai”. The pianist has given recitals at the Kaunas State Philharmonic, Klaipėda Concert Hall, the “Organum” hall, the “Muzikos magijos klubas” in Vilnius, and elsewhere. Her solo concerts have been broadcast and recorded by LRT Klasika radio. She has performed in the Czech Republic, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, and Germany.

She also performs actively as a chamber ensemble member. Recent stage partners include opera soloists Asta Krikščiūnaitė and Dovilė Kazonaitė, cellists Elena Daunytė and Gleb Pyšniak, birbynė player Vytautas Kiminius, and violinist Myroslava Kotorovych. Together, they have performed various thematic programs in concert halls across Lithuania. The pianist expands her repertoire not only by playing in ensembles with different instruments but also by participating as a concertmaster and orchestral performer in international projects: at the “Citta della Pieve” opera house, the “PromFest” festival, “Trumpets Talents Talinn”, and “Musica in Vivo”. She was awarded a letter of appreciation by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, for her achievements in international competitions.

Violinist Barbora Domarkaitė graduated from the violin class of Prof. Ingrida Armonaitė at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. Currently, B. Domarkaitė is the second concertmaster of the first violins for the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra.

The violinist has performed as a soloist with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Kaunas City Chamber Orchestra, and actively makes music in various chamber ensembles. Over 25 years of musical activity, she has toured extensively, performing across Europe, South America, and Japan.