On the evening of November 28, the Kaunas State Philharmonic Hall will be filled with extraordinary music – a program where the subtlety of French Impressionism, the playfulness of 20th‑century Modernism, and the grandeur of late Romanticism come together. This musical narrative will be brought to life by the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra under the baton of German maestro Markus Lukas Frank, with the heart of the evening centered on the piano duo of sisters Kaja and Klėja Kašubaitė.
Kaja and Klėja Kašubaitė are the youngest Lithuanian pianists ever to step onto some of the world’s most prestigious stages. In 2023 they made their debut at the legendary Berlin Philharmonie, soon after appeared at the Berlin Konzerthaus, and in December 2024 performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, where they were met with exceptional acclaim. Such achievements are not only an impressive calling card at such a young age but also proof of a musical journey unfolding at remarkable speed.
Since 2022 the sisters have lived in Berlin, attending the international Metropolitan School and studying as young students at the Julius Stern Institute of the Berlin University of the Arts under Professors Markus Groh and Sabine Simon. Despite their intensive life in Germany, they maintain close ties with Lithuania, continuing their studies remotely at the Balys Dvarionas Ten‑Year Music School in Vilnius. In 2023 they became recipients of the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin Foundation LIVE MUSIC NOW scholarship, opening even more opportunities to perform internationally.
Though still very young, the sisters have already amassed impressive concert experience. They have won numerous international competition prizes both as soloists and as a piano duo – from France and Italy to Costa Rica, the USA, and the United Arab Emirates. Their list of awards includes no fewer than 16 Grand Prix and 75 first prizes in solo categories, as well as 12 Grand Prix and 26 first prizes in duo categories.
Alongside their competition successes, Kaja and Klėja actively perform in concert: they have appeared with six symphony and chamber orchestras and participated in international music festivals, where they were warmly received and applauded with standing ovations. Each of their performances is not only a display of technical virtuosity but also a heartfelt, sincere dialogue with the audience, revealing that music is truly their native language.
The evening’s program will lead listeners into Claude Debussy’s Impressionist masterpiece Prélude à l’après‑midi d’un faune, followed by Francis Poulenc’s playful Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, and will culminate with Johannes Brahms’s monumental Symphony No. 4.
This concert is an invitation to experience how two young Lithuanian pianists, together with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, create music where tradition, youthful energy, and genuine stage magic unite.