Reflections of Lithuanian Modernism

Japan and Lithuania in one concert! Japanese pianist, composer, and musicologist Yusuke Ishii presents works by Lithuanian composers Gražina and Vytautas Bacevičius. Pianist Y. Ishii currently lives in Lithuania and actively researches Lithuanian modernist music. Thanks to his efforts, Lithuanian music has been performed on Japanese stages on several occasions. In this concert, Y. Ishii presents works by G. and V. Bacevičius recorded on his latest album. The performer seeks to reveal the strand of modernism that reached its apogee in the early 20th century and was continued by G. and V. Bacevičius. Echoes of this modernism can be seen in the works of some postwar Lithuanian composers—Osvaldas Balakauskas (whom we lost in April 2026), one of his students, Ramūnas Motiekaitis, and Vykintas Baltakas—whose music will also be heard at the concert. Alongside Lithuanian modernism, listeners will hear music by Claude Debussy, regarded as one of the pioneers of modern music worldwide. Y. Ishii has lived in Vilnius since 2019, where he is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Kaunas University of Technology. In November 2023, he released a significant vinyl record devoted exclusively to V. Bacevičius’s piano works, drawing attention to this mystically inspired composer, whose modernist language had long been forgotten beyond Lithuania’s borders. Through his multifaceted career, Y. Ishii exemplifies the artist-scholar model: a pianist whose virtuosity and vision are matched by intellectual depth and cultural curiosity. His work continues to shed light on underrepresented corners of modern music history.