About us: The Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra grew from the Kaunas Chamber Orchestra, which was founded in 1988 and since 2000 has been managed by Algimantas Treikauskas. From 1997 to 2005, the orchestra was conducted by the violinist Pavel Berman (Italy), and in 2006 - 2011 Modestas Pitrėnas took over as principal conductor, from 2012 position of principal conductor took Latvian master of baton Imants Resnis. The Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra gives concerts at home and abroad, including Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Switzerland and Italy, appears regularly at various international festivals, presents concert projects and gives thematic concerts. Many famous Lithuanian and foreign soloists and conductors have collaborated with the orchestra.
Orchestra appears and organizes about 50 concerts per year. Presenting itself as a versatile collective, orchestra specializes in various genres of classical, contemporary music, including crossover projects with such groups as "The Scorpions", "Smokie", "Electric Light Orchestra" to name a few. Also Orchestra appeared at opera contest show "Arc of the Triumph" for two years in Lithuanian National Television.
Among the most prominent highlights of 2012/2013 season - coloboration with famous baritone Dmitry Hvorostovsky and conductor Conctantine Orbelian, tour in "Murten Classics" festival in Switzerland under the baton of Kaspar Zehnder. In Orchestra discography appears five CD's, next three projects is going to released next season.
In April 2013 Orchestra recorded rare arias from G. Rossini operas, also held the concert with most demanded bel canto repertoire tenor Lawrence Brownlee.
(Up to date May 2013)
“The cultural life of Kaunas cannot be imagined without the Symphony Orchestra. Its professional development provides lovers of music of this genre with much pleasure, gives Kaunas composers an inspiration for new works, and makes it possible to run a wide variety of diverse and interesting projects involving the world’s leading musicians.”
(Eugenija Žakienė, Nemunas, 2006)
“… marking its second anniversary, the orchestra increasingly proves to be a western-type ensemble focusing mainly on the sense of proportion and the wholeness of the music being performed.”
(Alina Ramanauskienė, Kauno Diena, 2007)
