Vilnius University Chamber orchestra was founded in in the autumn of 1979 by the flautist Paulius Bernardas Koncė. The four core members of the present orchestra were inspired by the idea to bring chamber harmonies to the rich cultural life of Vilnius Alma Mater and to build musical bridges between the academia life and the music loving audience from all over the country and Europe. From November 2019 artistic director and conductor - Modestas Jankūnas.
During the past three decades the orchestra maintained its mission and not only became an established part of the musical life of Lithuania, performing in the greatest concert halls of the big cities, as well as small remote villages, but also travelled all the way from Mexico to Moscow drawing its musical horizons further than ever imagined. The orchestra also presented various programmes under some of the most beautiful domes of the churches and cathedrals in Europe, visiting Hague, Geneva, Paris, Sank Petersburg, Riga, Venice, Rome and Valletta in some of its most recent tours.
Furthermore, the orchestra presented several different musical programmes in collaborations with Lithuania’s most famous conductors and soloists, including maestros prof. S.Sondeckis, M.Pitrėnas, M.Barkauskas and enchanting voices of L.Grodnikaitė, A. Krikščiūnaitė, O.Kolobovaitė, J.Gedmintaitė and many others.
Another essential part of orchestra’s creative activity is the continuous cooperation with the academic choirs of Vilnius University, which also gives the opportunities to create the exceptional musical events, such as the performance of W.A.Mozart’s “Requiem” in December of 2012, involving more than 400 singers and musicians sharing the same stage. Finally, the orchestra has always tried to leave a long lasting remark, signifying its musical road and maturity. Therefore the orchestra recorded several compact discs and audio tapes with its most beloved musical pieces.
During the past three decades, the orchestra has not only welcomed plenty of new talented students from Vilnius University which helped the former ensemble grow in its size, but also built up a rich repertoire. Although the orchestra is perhaps best known for its wide and colourful palette of timeless and miraculous baroque masterpieces, years of practice and participation in various interesting cultural projects also brought expressive sounds of romanticism and even intriguing modern musical harmonies created by young composers of the twenty first century. Opening the page of the 40th anniversary of its musical history, Vilnius University Chamber orchestra is still full of creative energy and happy to bring new melodies to its audience.