Lunch Time Concert - Emilija Auskalnyte and Milda Vitartaite

Eduardas Balsys 

Fragments from ballet Egle, the Queen of Grass Snakes (1974) 

I. Little Fishes 

II. Little Asp - a Mischief Maker 

III. Egle's Lament 

Howard Hanson 

Pastorale,Op. 38 (1949) 

Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1993) 

II. Chanson sans paroles 

III. Danse Macabre 

Histoire du Tango (1985) 

I. Bordel 1900 

II. Cafe 1930 

III. Nightclub 1960 

Emilija Auskalnyte is a saxophonist based in London. Born and raised in Lithuania, she started her musical journey at the age of 6 with teacher Vidmantas Beksa, and soon after started performing and participating in various local and international competitions. In 2016, her achievements were noticed, and she was included in the autobiography book of Arnas Jozonis: Kas Bus Kas: Lietuvos Ateitis [Who Will Be Who: The Future of Lithuania]. Her deep interest in performing arts led her to theatre where she had the privilege of working and creating various characters on stage under the tutelage of Lithuanian director Alvydas Vizgirda. After graduating high school, she continued her musical journey at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with teachers Josef Pacewicz, also receiving masterclasses from Arno Bornkamp, Tim McAllister, Amy Dickson, and Marcus Weiss. Currently, she is studying towards a master's degree in the Royal College of Music with Professor Kyle Horch. 

Milda Vitartaite is a Lithuanian pianist and composer. Having started piano and composition lessons at the age of 12, Milda later studied with Jose Maria Curbelo in Spain and gained her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK, under the guidance of Douglas Finch, where she also had opportunities to shape her artistic expression with such celebrated artists as Pascal Roge and Martino Tirimo. In recent years, Milda has emerged on the contemporary music scene as a dynamic and fervent interpreter of modern piano repertoire with a passion for bringing new works to the forefront of the classical music scene. She has premiered over 30 new works to date with upcoming premieres planned for the 2024/2025 season. Milda’s national debut as a composer came with the dance theatre work 'Plastic Bag Odyssey', which enjoyed acclaim in various Lithuanian festivals during 2020 and 2021. Since then, Milda’s works have been performed in different venues across London, including The New Lights Contemporary Piano Festival 2023.