From Vilnius to Asia-Pacific: Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society Builds New Cultural Bridges
Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Vilnius (Photo credit: Michail Raskovski)
From Vilnius to Tokyo, Cheonan and Izmir, 2026 has been a year of wide horizons for the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society (LNPhS), combining major events at home with touring, new encounters and partnerships stretching from Europe to the Asia-Pacific.
VILNIUS FESTIVAL at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall
A defining point in the season was the 30th VILNIUS FESTIVAL, presented by LNPhS from 5 to 25 Jun. A longstanding member of the European Festivals Association (EFA), VILNIUS FESTIVAL is headed by Executive Director Rūta Prusevičienė. Over three decades, it has become one of Lithuania’s foremost international classical music events and a meeting point between Lithuanian musical culture and the wider world.
The anniversary edition offered ten programmes, from symphonic and chamber music to new music and organ repertoire. Guests included conductor Oksana Lyniv, tenor Ian Bostridge, Notre-Dame de Paris organist Olivier Latry and the Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen. Yet the festival’s character lies not in names alone, but in the dialogue, it creates between visiting artists and Lithuanian performers, composers and institutions.
MUSIC IN JAŠIŪNAI MANOR festival, Jašiūnai Manor
A different kind of exchange takes shape at MUSIC IN JAŠIŪNAI MANOR, the summer festival organised by the Šalčininkai District Municipality Cultural Centre and LNPhS under the artistic direction of Danas Skramtai.
Its 11th edition, held from 5 Jul to 16 Aug, presented seven free Sunday concerts at historic Jašiūnai Manor near Vilnius. Lithuanian musicians shared the stage with artists and ensembles from Turkey, Poland, Italy and Moldova, including Arpanatolia, Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, the Bandini–Chiacchiaretta Duo, pan flautist Ana Verhovețchi, violinist Piotr Pławner and marimbist Elwira Ślązak.
Jašiūnai is becoming a place where international artists meet Lithuanian audiences beyond the capital, and where a single concert can open the door to a longer relationship. Its historic setting and open-air format bring performers and audiences unusually close.
Travel has been another strong thread in 2026. In March, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (LCO), led by its artistic director, violinist and conductor Sergej Krylov, toured Tokyo, Cheonan and Izmir.
On 26 Mar, the orchestra appeared at the Tokyo Spring Festival in Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, within the wider Lithuanian cultural programme surrounding the major M. K. Čiurlionis exhibition in Tokyo. Two days later, the LCO performed at Cheonan Arts Center in South Korea with cellist Jinho Hong. The tour concluded on 31 Mar at the International Baroque Music Festival in Izmir, with Krylov as soloist and conductor.
The orchestra’s international spring continued in May with concerts at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi in Cremona and the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, as part of the Lithuanian Cultural Season in Italy 2025–2026. In Jun, the LCO and Krylov travelled to Portugal for the Sintra Festival. These engagements deepened professional relationships across Europe and Asia.
In 2027, LNPhS will take an active part in Lithuania’s artistic presentation during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra is scheduled to perform at BOZAR in Brussels, DE SINGEL in Antwerp and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. The LCO will appear at Musiikkitalo – Helsinki Music Centre, Konserthuset Stockholm and The Black Diamond in Copenhagen, alongside concerts by Lithuanian chamber ensembles.
Call for AAPPAC Members to shape 2028 Tour
For AAPPAC readers, the most important chapter comes next. In the second half of January 2028, LNPhS is developing a new LCO Asia-Pacific tour. Travel funding has already been secured, giving the project a solid foundation for building the itinerary with regional partners.
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (Photo credit: D. Matvejev)
Sergej Krylov, Artistic Director of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (Photo credit: Tomas Juškaitis)
LNPhS is looking to work with performing arts centres, festivals, presenters, promoters and agencies across the Asia Pacific. The LCO is open to jointly developed touring routes, co-presentations and new programmes with local partners, including contemporary music from the countries and regions in which it performs. The aim is to build long-term artistic relationships around the orchestra and Sergej Krylov.
We warmly invite AAPPAC members and their networks to help shape the 2028 tour and explore opportunities for collaboration across the Asia-Pacific.
For LNPhS, the ambition is larger than a single tour: to build a cultural bridge linking the Asia-Pacific with Central Europe, the Baltic states and the Nordic region. The goal is not simply to take Lithuanian music abroad, but to create a genuine exchange of artists, repertoire and ideas in both directions — welcoming orchestras, ensembles, soloists and artistic projects from the region to Lithuania and, where possible, connecting them with partners across Northern and Central Europe.
The strongest cultural bridges are built through continuity, trust and shared artistic curiosity. LNPhS sees Lithuania as a natural meeting point for these regions and is ready to help make those connections happen.
For partnership enquiries
Danas Skramtai
Senior Producer, Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society
Phone: +370 5 266 52 68
Email:danas.skramtai@filharmonija.l