Evening program
2026-06-09

Algirdas Martinaitis’s oratorio The Altar of Divine Mercy offers a distinctive musical reflection of Vilnius as a spiritual space, shaped by its historical memory and sacred identity. The dramatic axis of the work is the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, written in Vilnius between 1933 and 1936. The four-part cycle — O Blood and Water, Hail, Throne of Mercy, I Will Sing of the Mercy of God for Ever, and Litany of Divine Mercy — forms a coherent emotional and spiritual progression. Within this framework, The Altar of Divine Mercy unfolds as a kind of sonic topography of Vilnius, where sacred history and contemporary musical reflection are woven into a unified acoustic experience.

Performers:

Gunta Gelgotė (soprano)

Jomantė Šležaitė (mezzo-soprano)

Vilnius State Choir (Director: A. Dambrauskas)

Panevėžys Musical Theatre Choir (Director: G. Pavilionis)

Panevėžys Musical Theatre Orchestra (Chief Conductor: E. Pehkas)

Conductor: Dr. Imantas Jonas Šimkus

These charismatic prayer evenings invite participants to experience God’s mercy through communal prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and praise. The guest of the evenings is missionary Marcin Zieliński from Poland, who will minister together with Lithuanian charismatic communities. Music will be led by the praise group Schola Ducha Świętego. The programme will include Holy Mass, a talk, Eucharistic adoration, praise, and intercessory prayer for inner and physical healing.

Performers:
Marcin Zieliński (missionary)
Schola Ducha Świętego (praise group)

An internationally acclaimed pianist, laureate of YCAT (2023), prizewinner of numerous competitions, and recipient of prestigious scholarships and awards. He completed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Ignas Maknickas has performed with orchestras in Lithuania and abroad and has appeared at major concert venues including Wigmore Hall in London, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, and the Kaunas Philharmonic Hall. In 2025, he released his debut album Opening, which was praised by the British magazine BBC Music Magazine. The Maknickas family ensemble – a sister and three brothers – has represented Lithuania on numerous occasions in national broadcasts and state celebrations. The pianist invites listeners to enjoy a refined and expressive programme of piano music.

Performer:

Ignas Maknickas (piano)

Learn more about the performers here.

A distinctive presence on the music scene and one of Lithuania’s most expressive artists, Saulius Petreikis creates music that brings together traditional and ancient wind instruments. His performances are marked by energy and a rich range of emotions. Playing a wide variety of instruments, he invites listeners on a vivid musical journey in which the sonic heritage of Baltic and Scandinavian cultures intertwines. His music is warmly received by diverse audiences and is especially enjoyed by families. Saulius Petreikis invites you to embark on a musical adventure.

Performer:

Saulius Petreikis

The Vilnius University Folklore Ensemble Ratilio is a vibrant and dynamic community that has been preserving Lithuanian traditions for nearly six decades. The ensemble brings together students, lecturers, and alumni who creatively and authentically present songs, dances, and musical traditions from different regions of Lithuania. During the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy, Ratilio will invite audiences to experience the richness of Lithuanian culture: to hear authentic folk songs, witness the vitality of traditional dances, and admire traditional national costumes. The evening will open a lively and engaging world of Lithuanian folklore.

Learn more about the performers here.

The Ensemble of the Shrine of Divine Mercy (Director: Gabija Vaičiulienė) is a vocal group specialising in early sacred music and serving in the Catholic liturgy at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius. The ensemble’s members engage deeply with the history of Christian liturgical music and prepare historically informed programmes. These include reconstructions such as the Vilnius Bernardine manuscript Clavis Coelis (1760) and a programme of Jesuit hymns from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania based on the hymnal Giesmės, tikėjimui katalickam priderančios (Hymns Suitable for the Catholic Faith, 1646) by Saliamonas Mozerka Slavočinskis (1624–1660), among others. Alongside local liturgical heritage, the ensemble also explores Western European traditions, including Gregorian chant, Old Roman chant, and the Notre Dame school of polyphony. In collaboration with international partners, the ensemble has, for the past two years, organised the liturgical and early music festival Lucernalis in Vilnius.

Learn more here.

This concert by a kanklės and cello duo invites listeners to an evening of contemporary, minimalist, and cinematic music. Kanklės (Lithuanian psaltery) is one of the oldest and most distinctive traditional Lithuanian instruments.

The repertoire features original compositions by Lina Žilinskaitė, as well as works created jointly by both performers, in which Lithuanian and ethnic musical elements are interwoven. This is a musical experience marked by calm and contemplation. Listeners are invited to set aside the concerns of daily life and allow these gentle sounds to lead them into a deeper inner stillness.

Performers:
Lina Žilinskaitė (kanklės, voice)
Marius Dominykas Sakavičius (cello)

On a June evening, the sounds of the carillon will fill the spaces of Vilnius, inviting listeners on a special journey through sacred music — from the Baroque era to 20th-century spiritual compositions. The concert will feature works by renowned composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, César Franck, Georg Friedrich Händel, Camille Saint-Saëns, and others, specially arranged for the carillon.

The program will be performed by one of the leading contemporary carillon artists from Poland, Katarzyna Takao Piastowska, who actively performs across Europe and the United States, is a laureate of international competitions, and a participant in the prestigious Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition in Mechelen.

An important part of her artistic work is arrangement and improvisation, allowing her to give new voice to well-known sacred and classical music pieces by adapting them to the unique sound of the carillon.

Performer:
Katarzyna Takao Piastowska (carillonneur)

Learn more here.

Written & performed by Sigute Miller

Tragic Magic is a powerful solo performance tracing Sigute Miller’s journey through addiction, identity, and transformation. Raised in Chicago as the daughter of Lithuanian displaced persons, she shares a life once split between outward success and inner turmoil, leading to profound consequences and loss. With honesty and humor, she reveals her path to sobriety, spiritual renewal, and a return to her Lithuanian roots through song and ritual. Interwoven with her late brother’s poetry, Tragic Magic becomes a moving testament to hope, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Learn more here.

The Vilnius Sacred Music Choir ADORAMUS presents the programme Sacred Heart, centred on the motif of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — not as a decorative symbol, but as the very heart of Christian experience: God’s nearness, which surpasses human effort and calls for a response. The music of this programme unfolds as an inner journey, in which prayer gradually gives way to silence, and silence to a moment of decision.

Programme includes: Ola Gjeilo – Sacred Heart, Imantas Jonas Šimkus – Da pacem, Domine, Arvo Pärt – Vater Unser and Salve Regina, Pēteris Vasks – The Fruit of Silence, Imantas Jonas Šimkus – Cantata for St. Ignatius of Loyola Faithful Fire and Give Me Yourself, My God.

Performers:
Vilnius Sacred Music Choir ADORAMUS and string ensemble
Dr. Imantas Jonas Šimkus (Artistic Director and Conductor)
Domininkas Ramašauskas (Assistant Conductor)
Agnieška Savel (Choirmaster)

This concert offers a unique musical dialogue, bringing together three outstanding performers exclusively for this evening: opera soloist Liudas Mikalauskas, organist Renata Marcinkutė Lesieur, and saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas. The programme creates a living conversation between the human voice, the space-filling sound of the organ, and the expressive freedom of the saxophone. These distinct yet complementary forms of expression intertwine, filling the vaults of St. Casimir’s Church with a rich tapestry of sound. The programme will feature works by composers from the classical repertoire alongside music by distinguished Lithuanian composers. The concert invites listeners to experience music as a living dialogue – one that unfolds between tradition and improvisation, and unites different musical worlds into a single, expressive narrative of beauty, space, and artistic freedom.

Learn more about the performers here.