June 11, 2026, 6:00 PM Kaunas State Philharmonic
PERFORMERS
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen – countertenor (USA)
St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra
Artistic Director and Chief Conductor – Modestas Barkauskas
Conductor – Hossein Pishkar
The programme features works by Felix Mendelssohn, George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Francesco Cavalli, Samuel Barber, Maurice Ravel, and Albert Roussel.
Returning to the Pažaislis Music Festival after last year’s warmly received appearance is Iranian-born conductor Hossein Pishkar, who quickly won the admiration of both audiences and musicians alike. Having studied in Iran and Germany and now based in Italy, the conductor speaks about music as an inseparable part of his existence: “Sometimes love strikes at first sight. That happened to me — I simply heard music and devoted my whole life to it. I don’t know what it is. I am it. I believe music should be part of every person’s life.”
Joining the concert as a special guest is the extraordinarily gifted American countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, offering audiences the rare opportunity to experience one of the most distinctive voice types in classical music. Praised by The Guardian for his “astonishingly beautiful” and “golden” voice, the singer performs a broad repertoire spanning from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary music. The New York Times describes him as a “rising star” and “a complete artist,” while the San Francisco Chronicle calls him “extravagantly talented” and capable of redefining the possibilities of the countertenor voice.
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen received a Grammy Award in 2019 for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, won the Grand Prize at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2017, earned top prizes at the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition and the Dallas Opera Guild Competition, and in 2024 was awarded the Grand Prix at the Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition.
This remarkable artistic collaboration promises an unforgettable musical experience. Together with the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, the artists will perform arias by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Cavalli, transporting listeners into the richly ornamented and emotionally expressive world of Baroque music. Vocal miniatures by Samuel Barber and Maurice Ravel will immerse audiences in refined harmonic landscapes, while the programme is framed by two instrumental works: Felix Mendelssohn’s youthful and vibrant Symphony for Strings No. 12 and Albert Roussel’s elegant “Sinfonietta” for strings.
