The “Banchetto musicale” early music festival starts on September 15, 2011. Marking its 20 year anniversary last year, and entering its third decade this year, the festival seeks to uphold its main goal of presenting to Lithuanian audiences the most famous European and Lithuanian artists performing as yet unheard and intriguing medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music programmes.
The Franciscan Monastery, St. Katherine’s, St. Ignatius and the Evangelical Lutheran churches, the Rulers Palace and the Museum of Applied Arts all in Vilnius will feature concerts by renowned European soloists and ensembles, many making their first ever appearances in Lithuania. They include the all female TRIO MEDIAEVAL of Norway, recreating the magic of music from the Middle Ages, the culinary masterpieces of the British ensemble I FAGIOLINI, Polish trumpet fanfares, a musical journey through medieval and Renaissance Spain with CAPELLA DE MINISTRERS, Italian Baroque cantatas and soprano arias with Spanish ensemble MUSICA POETICA, Paolo Pandolfo bringing to life the spirit of the viola da gamba, and the spell-binding soprano, Olga Pasichnyk. This world class performer shall participate in the festival’s closing concert, “Music as a catcher of souls” – adding to the programme started last year, this project shall reveal new treasures from the musical archives of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Chioggia, while the Brevis Choir and Consort shall once again round up performers from various countries in Europe.

The festival is organized by the Public Institutions Banchetto Musicale and Vilniaus Festivaliai.