On September 13, a special concert entitled “Musical Bridge: Nida–Lübeck” took place at the prestigious Lübeck “Kolosseum”, a venue known for attracting large audiences. The concert was dedicated to the 150th birth anniversaries of Nobel Prize laureate Thomas Mann and the Lithuanian genius Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.
The cultural bridge from Lithuania to Germany was built by the Thomas Mann Cultural Center in Nida together with one of the most innovative ensembles in the country – the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra of Vilnius. The audience was presented with a program that, alongside music by Čiurlionis, featured works by contemporary and highly innovative Lithuanian composers: Faustas Latėnas, Algirdas Martinaitis, and Vidmantas Bartulis. Their compositions, distinguished by modern ideas, unusual sound combinations, and strong dramaturgical power, have for many years captivated international audiences and opened new spaces for the interpretation of Lithuanian music. The program was complemented by the classical German tradition – the music of Felix Mendelssohn, which created a dialogue between two cultures.
“This concert was an opportunity for us to enter into a living cultural dialogue with the audience of Thomas Mann’s homeland. We were eager to build this symbolic bridge by presenting the Lübeck listeners with one of the most exciting Lithuanian academic music ensembles and an original program,” said Dr. Lina Motuzienė, Director of the Thomas Mann Cultural Center and the Neringa Museums.
At the beginning of the concert, the long-time Chair of the Board of Curators of the Thomas Mann Festival, historian Prof. Dr. Ruth Leiserowitz, addressed the audience. She recalled the writer’s close connection with the Baltic Sea and his summer house in Nida, which today houses a memorial museum and hosts the annual International Thomas Mann Festival. “This evening in Lübeck is like a souvenir of the festival – a symbolic bridge between Nida and Lübeck,” she said.
The concert was organized by the Thomas Mann Cultural Center in Nida together with the Heinrich and Thomas Mann Center in Lübeck (“Buddenbrookhaus”) and the Neringa Museums. The event became a vivid example of how the anniversaries of Thomas Mann and M. K. Čiurlionis bring together the cultures of Lithuania and Germany.
Organizer:
Thomas Mann Cultural Center
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Partners and supporters:
Neringa Municipality
Neringa Museums