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The International Composers’ Course Palendriai 2014

About year 2014

In 2014 for the first time The International Composers’ Course in Palendriai, back then originally named as Creative Workshop for composers invited contemporary music lovers, enthusiasts and artists to join this new event taking place in Palendriai, St. Benedict’s Monastery – an extraordinary and unique place in Lithuania, surrounded by the golden fields of rye, forests, lakes and barely any human soul in few kilometres radius. The project’s main objective was to create and perform solo or chamber musical compositions for accordion. The appointed tutors in 2014 were Ben Lunn (a composer and a graduate of Royal Welsh College of Music) and Rūta Vitkauskaitė (a composer, violinist, festivals curator and PhD graduate of Royal Academy of Music in London).

PARTICIPANTS of The International Composers‘ course Palendriai 2014

TUTORS:

Ben Lunn (UNITED KINGDOM)
Rūta Vitkauskaitė (LITHUANIA/UNITED KINGDOM)

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Martynas Levickis (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSERS:

Sonata Packevičiūtė (LITHUANIA)
Jachin Pousson (LATVIA)
Justina Repečkaitė (LITHUANIA)
Andrius Šiurys (LITHUANIA)
Raimonds Ungurs (LATVIA)

ACCORDIONISTS:

Regina Kardušaitė (LITHUANIA)
Martynas Levickis (LITHUANIA)
Rafał Łuc (POLAND)
Augustinas Rakauskas (LITHUANIA)
Raimonds Ungurs (LATVIA)

STRING PLAYERS:

Inga Kuizinaitė-Aleksnienė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Rusnė Matutienė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Tomas Savickas (viola) (LITHUANIA)
Tomas Ramančiūnas (cello) (LITHUANIA)
Ian Anderson (viola) (UNITED KINGDOM)

COMPOSITIONS CREATED DURING THE 2014 COURSE:

Andrius Šiurys – Tears in music (for Viola and Accordion)
Sonata Packevičiūtė – Mother’s tears (for Viola and Accordion)
Jachin Pousson – Circuitri (for Viola, Cello and four Accordions)
Raimonds Ungurs – Catacombs (for Viola and Accordion)
Justina Repečkaitė – Acupressure (for Accordion and string quartet)
Justina Repečkaitė – Chartes (for four Accordions)

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The International Composers’ Course Palendriai 2015

About year 2015

At its’ second year The International Composers’ Course was led by two inspiring music professionals: Alasdair Nicolson (a composer, pianist, conductor and artistic director of “St. Magnus” festival) and Rūta Vitkauskaitė. Not only did this intriguing duo supervise and inspired the young composers to create and experiment with the sound of accordion but also provided valuable practical and creative tasks that enriched the experience of young artists and encouraged them to continue writing music for accordion in future. Moreover, an insightful lecture given by the guest-tutor Bethany Alexander equipped all participants with practical advices on how to sell their works to the public. The International Composers’ Course Palendriai 2015 rounded off traditionally with a concert in St. Benedict’s Monastery. The premieres of works written during the course were performed to the public and the performance lasted for more than 3 hours!

The World-premiered pieces have been professionally recorded and are available to listen on this website.

Here you will also find a PDF of the limited edition book ‘The Collection of Accordion Works” consisting of all the pieces that have been composed during the course.

PARTICIPANTS of The International Composers‘ course Palendriai 2015

TUTORS:

Bethany Alexander (UNITED KINGDOM)
Alasdair Nicolson (UNITED KINGDOM)
Rūta Vitkauskaitė ((LITHUANIA/UNITED KINGDOM)

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Martynas Levickis (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSERS:

Sofia Garcia Aleman (SPAIN)
Matija Andjelkovic (SERBIA)
Tom Green (UNITED KINGDOM)
Simas Sapiega (LITHUANIA)
Aleksandar Savić (SERBIA)
Kristofer Svensson (SWEDEN)
Justina Šikšnelytė (LITHUANIA)
Steinar Yggeseth (NORWAY)
Raimonds Ungurs (LATVIA)

ACCORDIONISTS:

Janina Gečaitė (LITHUANIA)
Rafał Łuc (POLAND)
Tadas Motiečius (LITHUANIA)
Kamila Olas (POLAND)
Augustinas Rakauskas (LITHUANIA)
Maris Rozenfelds (LATVIA)
Simona Šukytė (LITHUANIA)

WIND PLAYERS:

Joseph Shiner (clarinet) (UNITED KINGDOM)
Emma Halnan (flute) (UNITED KINGDOM)

STRING PLAYERS:

Danielė Brekytė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Diemantė Merkevičiūtė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Campbell Parker (viola) (UNITED KINGDOM)
Ana Čirkova (cello) (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSITIONS CREATED DURING THE 2015 COURSE:

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The International Composers’ Course Palendriai 2016

About year 2016

During its third year The International Composers’ Course 2016 is moving to a picturesque space of Raudondvaris Castle Arts Incubator where all the creative work will take place. This years’ course will be led by two dynamic personalities: Gorka Hermosa and Rūta Vitkauskaitė. At the end of this vibrant week a premiere concert will become a pinnacle of creative process.

GORKA HERMOSA was born in 1976 in Urretxu (Basque Country). He is a multifaceted musician: an accordion player, a composer and teacher, a writer. Gorka Hermosa was the first Spanish accordionist to play as a soloist with an symphonic orchestra. He often appears in Spanish TV and radio shows and gives concerts all around Europe. Gorka plays a wide variety of genres including flamenco, fado, folk, pop-rock, jazz, techno, fusion. His works are often played by musicians all around the globe including some famous winners of the most prestigious accordion competitions. Gorka has published 3 CDs and has made more than 20 discographical collaborations. He has written 4 books about accordion and given conferences in Macedonia, Italy and Spain. At present he is the accordion teacher of the “Jesús de Monasterio” Musical Conservatory of Santander.

RŪTA VITKAUSKAITĖ (born 1984) is a composer, performer, new music event organiser and a teacher. Her musical interests are widely varied – while working in the field of classical composition (PhD at Royal Academy of Music at the moment, in 2009 Masters at Lithuanian Academy of Music), Ruta has also been active initiator of experimental music projects (music visualization, acoustic surround, music personalization), organizer (2006-2013 director of Druskomanija festival and workshop series the Process), performer (violin, piano, voice, electronics). Since moving to UK, Ruta has developed deep interest in music education (Learning Trainee at BCMG, Fellow at Open Academy at RAM, since 2013 working creatively with people living with dementia) and in research in personal music performance.

PARTICIPANTS of The International Composers‘ course Palendriai 2016

TUTORS:

Gorka Hermosa (SPAIN)
Rūta Vitkauskaitė (LITHUANIA/UNITED KINGDOM)

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Martynas Levickis (LITHUANIA)

LECTURERS:

Simas Sapiega (LITHUANIA)
Jonas Vilimas (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSERS:

Magnus Nyhagen Asplund (NORWAY)
Glen Thomas Downie (NEW ZEALAND)
Robin Haigh (UNITED KINGDOM)
Tze Yeung Ho (NORWAY – CANADA)
Ian Mikyska (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Marco Muilwijk (THE NETHERLANDS)
Wingel Gilberto Pérez Mendoza (MEXICO)
Aleksandar Savić (SERBIA)
Emma Wilde (UNITED KINGDOM)

ACCORDIONISTS:

Agnė Dūkštaitė (LITHUANIA)
Tadas Motiečius (LITHUANIA)
Agnė Rimgailaitė (LITHUANIA)
Maris Rozenfelds (LATVIA)
Laimonas Salijus (LITHUANIA)
Liāna Stankēviča (LATVIA)

WIND PLAYERS:

Simonas Tamulis (clarinet) (LITHUANIA)
Mikas Kurtinaitis (tuba) (LITHUANIA)

STRING PLAYERS:

Danielė Brekytė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Campbell Parker (viola) (UNITED KINGDOM)
Elena Daunytė (cello) (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSITIONS CREATED DURING THE 2016 COURSE:

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COMPOSERS+SUMMER ACADEMY 2017

About year 2017

The 4th Composers+Summer Academy 2017 took place in a scenic space of Raudondvaris Castle Arts Incubator where all the creative work occured. The course was led by two inspiring personalities: Iñaki Alberdi and Rūta Vitkauskaitė. The end of the creative process culminated in a final concert of world premieres.

IÑAKI ALBERDI is one of the most prominent and active modern accordion music performers and initiators worldwide. He completed his training at the International Centre for Accordion Studies, the Gnessin Institute in Moscow, and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Alberdi was awarded first prizes at the Coupe Mondiale (Colmar, 1994), the International Accordionist and Bayanist Competition (Moscow, 1995) and the Music Competition for Youth (Valladolid, 1996). Alberdi has collaborated closely with different present-day composers, premiered compositions of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luis de Pablo, Joan Guinjoan and many more. He has recently been nominated for the Gramophon Editor’s Choice Award for his monographic record on Sofia Gubaidulina. He has performed in numerous concert halls and appeared at a wide variety of festivals, including the Teatro La Fenice, the Arsenal Concert Hall (Metz), the Auditorio Nacional (Madrid), the Hamburger Ostertöne, the Venice Biennial, the Kursaal in San Sebastián, the Mostly Modern Series in Dublin, the St. Petersburg Philharmonia. Among other conductors, Iñaki Alberdi has performed under Juanjo Mena, Josep Pons, Pablo González, Vasily Petrenko, Adrian Leaper, Pedro Halffter, Alexei Artemiev, Yoav Talmi, Mélanie Thiébaut, Nacho de Paz and José Ramón Encinar. As a chamber music performer, he has worked with BCN 216, Ostots, Proyecto Guerrero, Taima-Granada, the Trío Arbós, the Kammerensemble Neue Musik (Berlin), VOX 21, the Ensemble Instrumental (Granada), the KEA Vocal Group, and Neue Vocalsolisten.

RŪTA VITKAUSKAITĖ (born 1984) is a composer, performer, new music event organiser and teacher. Her musical interests are widely varied – while working in the field of classical composition (PhD at Royal Academy of Music, Masters at Lithuanian Academy of Music), Rūta has also been active initiator of experimental music projects (music visualization, acoustic surround, music personalization). She has also organised an international contemporary music festival Druskomanija (2006-2013) and network of contemporary music workshops The Process. In addition, Rūta performes violin, piano, voice, electronics herself too. Since moving to UK, Rūta has developed deep interest in research on music education (Learning Trainee at BCMG, Fellow at Open Academy at RAM, since 2013 working creatively with people living with dementia) and in research in personal music performance. Rūta has participated in numerous international workshops as well as new music festivals in Lithuania and abroad, including YOUrope Together (Essen, Germany 2008), Gaudeamus Music Week (Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2008), Aldeburgh Festival (England, 2008). In 2015 Rūta Vitkauskaiė’s composition for symphony orchestra and accordion Ashraga was awarded in Music Nail of the Year (category “For the creative drive”). Same year Rūta’s collaboration with Swedish electronic music composer Jens Hedman and opera singer Asa Nordgren received the Golden Stage Cross for spatial opera Confessions.

PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMPOSERS+SUMMER ACADEMY 2017

TUTORS:

Iñaki Alberdi (SPAIN)
Rūta Vitkauskaitė (UNITED KINGDOM/LITHUANIA)

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:

Martynas Levickis (LITHUANIA)

LECTURER:

Ben Lunn (UNITED KINGDOM)

COMPOSERS:

Cong Wei (CHINA/GERMANY)
David Mastikosa (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)
Dominykas Digimas (LITHUANIA)
Fabian Svensson (SWEDEN)
Huey Ching Chong (MALAYSIA)
Joshua Brown (UNITED KINGDOM)
Michele Sarti (ITALY)
Rylan Gleave (UNITED KINGDOM)

ACCORDIONISTS:

Kamila Olas (POLAND)
Pietro Roffi (ITALY)
Maria Mogas Gensana (SPAIN)
Māris Rozenfelds (LATVIA)
Valerijus Kračius (LITHUANIA)
Vytenis Danielius (LITHUANIA)

STRING PLAYERS:

Simas Tankevičius (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Rakelė Chijenaitė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Ulijona Pugačiukaitė (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Konrad Levicki (violin) (LITHUANIA)
Kristina Anusevičiūtė (viola) (LITHUANIA)
Dalia Sakavičiūtė (viola) (LITHUANIA)
Ignė Pikalavičiūtė (cello) (LITHUANIA)
Arnas Kmieliauskas (cello) (LITHUANIA)

COMPOSITIONS CREATED DURING THE 2017 COURSE:

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COMPOSERS+SUMMER ACADEMY 2018

About year 2018

The 5th Composers+Summer Academy has moved from Raudondvaris Castle Arts Incubator to the resort town of Druskininkai in the south of Lithuania. Last years’ Academy was led by three inspiring music professionals: Daniel Nelson, Mikołaj Majkusiak and Dr. Rūta Vitkauskaitė. As in previous years, the course ended with a final concert, presenting world premieres of the pieces developed during the Academy.

DANIEL NELSON is a leading Swedish composer. He has worked with orchestras such as the Swedish Radio SO, Orchestre National d’île de France, Trondheim SO, Royal Swedish Philharmonic, and several others in Scandinavia, Europe, and the United States. His compositions are mostly instrumental and orchestral works, among them a piece for accordion and string quartet “My Inner Disco”. Nelson’s music has been described as being pulse-oriented with a neo-romantic vein. Critics have also remarked on the “magnificently mobile orchestration” and “exuberant energy”. In 2015, Daniel Nelson received the Carin Malmlöf-Forssling Prize in composition from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

MIKOŁAJ MAJKUSIAK is internationally acclaimed Polish composer, accordionist, arranger and producer. A graduate of Fryderyk Chopin University of Music with degrees of composition and accordion performance. Mikołaj is a great contributor to chamber and symphonic accordion repertoire, his “Concerto Classico” for accordion and symphony orchestra is one of the most played by accordionists worldwide. He works a lot in Film music as well as surprises his audiences with some rather unusual instrumentations like “Road to the Unknown” for female voice, violin solo, DJ and string orchestra.
is internationally acclaimed Polish composer, accordionist, arranger and producer. A graduate of Fryderyk Chopin University of Music with degrees of composition and accordion performance. Mikołaj is a great contributor to chamber and symphonic accordion repertoire, his “Concerto Classico” for accordion and symphony orchestra is one of the most played by accordionists worldwide. He works a lot in Film music as well as surprises his audiences with some rather unusual instrumentations like “Road to the Unknown” for female voice, violin solo, DJ and string orchestra.
Mikołaj is a prize winner of composers competitions in Warsaw and Legnica, as well as a multiple award winner in accordion competitions worldwide.

DR. RŪTA VITKAUSKAITĖ is the leading tutor of the Academy, who has witnessed the Composers+ evolve since its founding year in 2014. She has written a few substantial works for accordion, and provides important knowledge and experience of writing for this instrument. Her works include “Ashraga” for accordion and symphony orchestra and most recently “Savęsp” for accordion and string quartet (premiered at Berlin Konzerthaus in 2018). Other works include experimental operas, electro-acoustic and audio-visual compositions and performances. Rūta’s music widely ranges from experimental, drastic and vigorous to very sustained and esoteric idioms.
Rūta has obtained her PhD at the Royal Academy of Music in London and has been awarded with the most important Lithuanian stage prize – Golden Cross.