The Seventh Alexander Paley Music Marathon “Schubertiade at Paliesius Manor”

Welcome the beginning of autumn with an abundance of magnificent music! World-class piano virtuoso Alexander Paley and three other talented performers will present the seventh music marathon to the Paliesius Manor audience on September 13. This time, its theme is the works of F. Schubert.

F. Schubert remains one of the most essential composers in music history. Though his life was short and he died very young, he composed an extraordinary amount of music, and, as A. Paley notes, almost all of his works are masterpieces. During his lifetime, the composer was not widely known—he achieved immense fame only long after his passing. He wrote music primarily for cozy musical gatherings—salons and performances among friends. You will be able to experience this intimate feeling during the “Schubertiade at Paliesius.” In a single day, across three concerts, virtually all of the composer’s greatest masterpieces will resound—grand piano trios, sonatas, works for piano four hands, and much more.

“This music, the extraordinary music of F. Schubert, has the power to find its way into every heart, musicians and non-musicians alike,” says pianist Alexander Paley, for whom playing F. Schubert’s music and gathering music lovers at Paliesius Manor is always a great joy.

The fiery piano virtuoso Alexander Paley leaves no one indifferent to his talent and charisma. Audiences give him standing ovations, and critics spare no praise. His dream of playing the piano was born in early childhood, when the young pianist eagerly awaited the chance to press the keys of a “Belarus” piano for the first time.

Honored with a multitude of world-class awards, the pianist has performed and is always welcomed at the most prestigious concert halls and festivals. The distinguished list includes “Radio France”, “Theatre des Champs-Elysees”, “Salle Pleyel”, “Salle Gaveau” (Paris), “Grands Interprètes” (Lyon), the Lille Piano Festival, the Besançon Opera Theater, “Leipzig Gewandhaus”, “Concertgebouw” (Amsterdam), “Laeiszhalle” (Hamburg), concert halls in China, and elsewhere.

As the years pass, A. Paley’s star does not fade—dividing his time among New York, Paris, and Vilnius, the pianist performs around 80 concerts worldwide every year.

Pei-Wen Chen, born in Taipei, Taiwan, made her debut at New York’s prestigious “Carnegie Hall” shortly after completing her piano studies. She is a laureate of international piano competitions and a participant in world-class projects. The pianist regularly gives concerts in Europe as well as on other continents, and has collaborated with many renowned artists, such as Licia Abanese, Elly Ameling, Regina Resnik, Jon Vickers, Evelyn Lear, Diane Soviero, Deborah Voigt, Ruth Falcon, Mignon Dunn, Sherril Milnes, Olga Peretyako, and others. She also frequently performs with her husband, Alexander Paley.

She joined the Washington Opera Company for the production of the opera “Fedora,” and has served as a pianist at the “Metropolitan Opera” and “Amato Opera” theaters. The artist has also directed and conducted several operas and concerts. The pianist has taught at several universities in the US and remains active in academic life. In 2017, P. W. Chen was appointed as the pianist for the Shanghai Classical Singers Competition, and in 2020, she was a jury member for multiple online international vocal competitions.

Violinist Raimondas Butvila left for Venezuela in 1993 under a Lithuanian-Venezuelan creative cooperation agreement. In Caracas, he served as the musical director of Emil Friedman College and as a professor at the University of the Arts (UNEARTE), preparing several generations of professional musicians over 18 years. As a soloist, he frequently played with Venezuelan orchestras, performing the core violin concerto repertoire. He played a great deal of chamber music and was a member of the “Trio Academico Emil Friedman.”

In 2011, he returned to Lithuania; he is a professor and the Head of the String Instruments Department at the Music Academy of Vytautas Magnus University.

Since 2013, a highly active artistic collaboration was forged with his former classmate, the world-renowned piano virtuoso Alexander Paley. They have organized philharmonic recitals in Lithuania and a concert with the VMU Chamber Orchestra, performing J. Haydn and F. Mendelssohn’s concertos for violin and clavier. Since 2016, R. Butvila has been participating in the annual festival organized by A. Paley in Moulin d’Ande, France.

Cellist Marius Dominykas Sakavičius was born in 1994. He graduated with a specialization in cello from the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, in the class of teacher Romanas Armonas. He also completed his bachelor’s and master’s studies in performing arts (cello) at the VMU Music Academy, under Assoc. Prof. Ramutė Kalnėnaitė.

The performer is a participant and laureate of various national and international masterclasses and competitions, having played as a soloist with various orchestras. The young cellist is also a member of the newly formed piano trio “Vytautas magnus trio”, and on the contemporary art stage, he actively participates in various projects, collaborating with the contemporary dance performance and creation team “Šeiko šokio teatras”. His music has resonated on stages not only in Lithuania but also in Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, Denmark, Israel, and Great Britain.