The Sixth Alexander Paley Music Marathon “Mozart in Paliesius”

Let the beginning of autumn be filled with music! World-class piano virtuoso Alexander Paley on September 7 will present to the audience of Paliesius Manor his sixth music marathon. The theme of this year’s music marathon is the work of musical genius W. A. Mozart.

In a single day, no fewer than three concerts will unfold, featuring the most beautiful works by the legendary composer. A. Paley jokes that the marathon was not born of a whim to prove he can play the piano for hours without interruption—he simply wishes to bring performers and listeners together to share in an abundance of music. So we warmly invite you to spend an autumn afternoon immersed in the world of music, where, nestled between wild nature and historic stone walls, the most captivating classical melodies will shine like stars!

The fiery piano virtuoso Alexander Paley leaves no one indifferent to his talent and charisma. Audiences rise to their feet in applause, while critics spare no praise. His dream of playing the piano was born in early childhood, as the young pianist eagerly awaited his very first chance to touch the keys of a “Belarus” upright piano.

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

As the years go by, A. Paley’s star continues to shine brightly—living between New York, Paris, and Vilnius, the pianist gives around 80 concerts worldwide each year.

In 1993, violinist Raimondas Butvila traveled to Venezuela under a Lithuanian-Venezuelan creative cooperation agreement. In Caracas, he served as the musical director of the Emil Friedman College and as a professor at the Arts University (UNEARTE); over 18 years, he prepared several generations of professional musicians. As a soloist, he frequently performed with Venezuelan orchestras, interpreting the core repertoire of violin concertos. He also played extensively in chamber ensembles and was a member of the “Trio Academico Emil Friedman”.

Returning to Lithuania in 2011, he is now 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 has flourished with his former Moscow classmate, the world-renowned piano virtuoso Alexander Paley. They have held philharmonic recitals in Lithuania and performed with the VMU Chamber Orchestra, presenting violin and keyboard concertos by J. Haydn and F. Mendelssohn. Since 2016, R. Butvila has participated in the annual festival organized by A. Paley at the Moulin d’Ande in France.

Violist Tomas Savickas studied at the J. Naujalis Music Gymnasium and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (in the viola class of Prof. Petras Radzevičius), earning his master’s degree in 2005. He combined his studies in Lithuania with studies at the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Theatre (in the class of Prof. Pierre-Henri Xuereb). The violist is a laureate of national string and chamber music competitions, and has performed as a soloist with the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra. As a member of the “Sensus” quartet and the Kristupas String Quartet, Tomas Savickas has given concerts in various cities around the world (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Riga, Tallinn, Bordeaux, and others) and participated in numerous festivals (including “Praha – Viena – Budapest”, the Villecroze Academy, and the Kristupas Summer Festival).

Tomas Savickas is frequently invited to give viola masterclasses (in Tallinn, Vigo, Klaipėda, LMTA). His students include laureates of national and international string competitions. Tomas Savickas is a regular jury member for various competitions. Since 2006, he has been the concertmaster of the viola section of the LNOBT orchestra.

Cellist Marius Dominykas Sakavičius was born in 1994. He graduated 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 degrees in performing arts (cello) at the VMU Music Academy, in the class of Assoc. Prof. Ramutė Kalnėnaitė.

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