On February 27, we invite you to meet the young talent Povilas Norkūnas, winner of the 10th International Stasys Vainiūnas Piano Competition! The pianist has prepared a special, multifaceted concert program for you.

This evening’s program is distinguished by an exceptionally broad spectrum of emotional states, where intimate, personal introspection will interact with an extroverted, sometimes even elemental expression. The richly textured romantic miniatures of M. K. Čiurlionis, a sacred J. S. Bach chorale, and the philosophical depths of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 23 will ensure a sense of mystery alongside a profound density at the recital’s opening. The program then unfolds into J. Brahms’s Opus 117, steeped in an unquenchable longing for happiness. Its poetic note will be spontaneously interrupted by the eccentric “Bavarian-Babylonian” march by contemporary German composer J. Widmann, leading seamlessly into the evening’s crowning masterpiece, R. Schumann’s “Carnaval”.

Povilas Norkūnas (b. 2005) is an increasingly prominent pianist of the younger generation, performing annually on Lithuania’s most renowned stages. The Lithuanian public has frequently witnessed Povilas’s musical interpretations at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, the Sapieha and Grand Dukes’ Palaces, St. Catherine’s Church, the Vilnius Town Hall, the “Organum” concert hall, Paliesius Manor, and other concert venues across the country. Beyond his homeland, Povilas seeks to expand his reach globally, having already performed in several international halls — the Royal Palace of Gödöllő in Hungary and the Temple du Bas in Switzerland.

At the age of seven, Povilas forged a connection with music at the Balys Dvarionas Decennial Music School, acquiring his first knowledge of the piano while studying under Jūratė Bundzaitė and Regina Jurkonienė. Povilas continued his musical studies at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, where he spent four years in the class of Dr. Jurgis Aleknavičius. After graduating from the gymnasium, Povilas spent a year refining his skills with Prof. Jurgis Karnavičius at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and since 2025, he has been studying at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media under Prof. Ewa Kupiec.

Povilas is not only an active performer but also a dedicated competitor. In March 2026, he won first place at the 10th International Stasys Vainiūnas Piano Competition, earning concert prizes in Lithuania and a scholarship to the “Feuerwerk” international piano academy. Povilas’s treasury of achievements is filled with other successful experiences: he won first place at the 4th International “Lisztofonija” Piano Competition (2023), reached the semi-finals of the 9th International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition (2023), and was a finalist in the “Piano Neuchâtel – Val de Travers” competition in Switzerland (2025).

Povilas is also an alumnus of the Mstislav Rostropovich Charity and Support Foundation, which he represented from 2021 to 2024. Thanks to this partnership, in late 2024, he became one of three participants selected for the “Young Performers’ Residency” program, during which Povilas performed a solo recital broadcast live on Lithuanian National Radio.

Povilas always strives to nurture his personal distinctiveness while respecting the musical directives of the composer being performed. According to Povilas, music truly comes alive when the harmony between the ideas of the performer and the composer compels the listener to think.