Avakontsert / Festival Klaaspärlimäng 2026

Thu, July 9th at 7 pm

OPENING CONCERT

Vytautas Kiminius (birbynė, conductor / Leedu), Martin Kuuskmann (bassoon),

Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta

In programme: Mozart, Vähi

The festival opens with an exceptional concert featuring world-class soloists and the Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta. Each artist presents a dazzling concerto written for their instrument: Martin Kuuskmann performs Mozart’s elegant Bassoon Concerto, while Vytautas Kiminius brings to the stage the world’s first concerto for birbynė, composed by Peeter Vähi. Estonian-born and two-time Grammy nominee Martin Kuuskmann is one of the leading bassoon virtuosos of today, performing regularly at major venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and collaborating with renowned orchestras including the New York and London Philharmonics, ENSO, and the Iceland and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestras. Vytautas Kiminius is the foremost performer of the Lithuanian national instrument, the birbynė, and an increasingly sought-after conductor. He is a Grand Prix winner of the international “Renaissance” competition in Armenia, a first prize laureate of the “Menas ir švietimas XXI amžiuje” competition, and a three-time laureate of the Jonas Švedas Soloists’ Competition.