Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society () also known by its abbreviation LNPS, is a national cultural institution and the largest and oldest state-owned concert organisation in

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

headquartered in the nations capital of Vilnius. The philharmonic specialises in a diverse range of music types including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

and classical, organising regular tours throughout Lithuania and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

History

The current building of the Philharmonic Society was built in 1899–1902 and it was intended to be a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

. In 1940, a ''State Philharmonic'' was established and it has operated continuously since then with the exception of 1943. The society was designated a national cultural institution in July 1998.

Activities

Currently, the society organizes festivals in Lithuania, including the Vilnius Festival, Nakties Serenados (Night Serenades) in

Palanga Palanga (; ; ) is a resort town, resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sand, sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 10 ...

, and the Kuršių Nerija in Neringa, along with concert series in Nida,

Juodkrantė Juodkrantė (literally: ''Black Shore'', Kursenieki: ''Šatnūrta'' or ''Šatnūrte'', German: ''Schwarzort''In German, ''schwarz'' means "black" and ''Ort'' means "place", but an older meaning is "tip, point", preserved in mining jargon and place ...

, and Palanga. Among the musical agencies it works with are the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the M.K. Čiurlionis String Quartet, the Vilnius String Quartet, and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

. Its international activities include the sponsorship of concerts abroad and those of visiting musicians and orchestras, music exchange programs, and membership in EFA (

European Festivals Association The European Festivals Association (EFA) is an umbrella group for various festivals in Europe and other countries. It supports artistic cooperation among festivals and offers programs for new festival and artistic managers. It represents more than ...

), ISPA (International Society of Performing Arts), Nordic-Baltic Association of State Concert Institutions, and PEARLE (European League of the Performing Arts Employers' Association). The Society's headquarters are a historic building in

Vilnius Old Town The Old Town of Vilnius (), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, as inscribed within UNESCO World Heritage Sites, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres (887 acres). It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and ...

, which previously was used to hold the

Great Seimas of Vilnius The Great Seimas of Vilnius (, also known as the ''Great Assembly of Vilnius'', the ''Grand Diet of Vilnius'', or the ''Great Diet of Vilnius'') was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 (November 21–22, 1905 Old Style and New Style d ...

in 1905. Performances are held in its Concert Hall and Chamber Hall.

Selected recordings

* Camille Sain-Saëns, Piano concerto n°5, Mūza Rubackyté piano, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hanns Martin Schneidt and Piano concerto n°2 (conducted by

Alain Pâris Alain Pâris (born 22 November 1947) is a French conductor and musicologist. Biography Born in Paris, Alain Pâris was trained as a pianist and has a law degree. He studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux, Paul Paray and Georg Solti and won the ...

). Live record. CD Doron music 2014

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 1940 establishments in Lithuania Performing groups established in 1940 Music organizations based in Lithuania Vilnius Old Town