In the concert program The Loop by pianist Neringa Valuntonytė, the “loop” is interpreted as the inner cycle of a person – a path of silence, awakening, protest and return. It is a musical journey that invites us to reflect on the search for personal and social identity and internal transformations. The program features works by composers of the 20th–21st centuries, which merge personal experiences and a broader cultural context.
The structure of the program is framed by Randall Meyers’ Mantra, performed twice – a meditative work symbolizing spiritual balance and peace. Sounding at the beginning and end, Mantra creates a loop effect and acts as a fulcrum for the entire dramaturgy. It invites us to concentrate, listen to the silence and return to our inner center.
The interior of the loop is filled with the aesthetics of contemporary music: Arvo Pärt’s Für Alina conveys a sense of silence and frozen time; George Crumb’s dreamy Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik opens up a surreal night world, with echoes of jazz and classical. Carl Vine’s Anne Landa Preludes highlight the theme of patronage of the arts, while Grażyna Bacewicz’s Sonata No. 2, which becomes the axis of the program, articulates the cultural resistance and civic stance of the artist.
The return to Mantra at the end of the program makes sense of the loop as an open and constantly changing process – it is not a return to the same state, but to a new point of self-awareness.
Last season, Neringa had her solo concert "(In)Complete" at the Magic of Music Club, which was viewed by art professionals from Lithuania and abroad:
"Neringa Valuntonytė is a new face in our art world. Her solo performance at the Music Magic Club on March 25 surprised me with the abundance of colors in her performance, the program presented from different eras, and her excellent understanding of the craft. We have an exceptionally talented artist. I am delighted" - prof. Petras Vyšniauskas
"Neringa Valuntonytė treated both the music played on the keys and the percussion effects performed with string tricks in an extremely suggestive and masterful way. The sound space created by the author, illuminated by a special aura, which was conveyed with inspiration by the wonderful performer, fascinated and hypnotized me" - prof. Aldona E. Radvilaitė
"Neringa is a unique type of "thinking musician", deeply penetrating the composer's original idea. Her performance skills, combined with her original interpretations, are reminiscent of such musicians of the past and present as M. Yudina, M. Pollini and G. Sokolov" - prof. Valerii Panasiuk
A few moments from this recital by N. Valuntonytė:
