Event: Lithuania - Vilnius

Vilnius International Contemporary Music Festival - Gaida

When:	19 - 30 Oct 2007 (annual)
Where:	Vilnius
Costs:	Lt20-Lt150
Opening Hours:	Various

Established in 1991, the International Contemporary Music Festival in Vilnius, affectionately known as "Gaida", is the largest in Lithuania and one of the most important forums for new music in Central and Eastern Europe.

Gaida embraces music from all traditions and backgrounds, with a number of prominent European modern music ensembles taking part each year. It features an ambitious cross-section of genres, from chamber music and symphonic concerts to electronic music, multimedia projects, music theatre, sound installations and club events.

Concerts take place in the main halls and theatres across Vilnius, including the National Philharmonic and the National Opera and Ballet Theatre.

The 2007 festival is eclectic as ever, with music from Onute Narbutaite, Heiner Goebbels, John Tavener, Feldman, Berio, Ligeti, Jana Kmitova, Marian Lejava, Mischa Kaeser, Georges Aperghis, Jennifer Walshe and Bernhard Lang as well as Pascal Dusapin's chamber opera Medea and a film project based on Charlie Chaplin's comic cinematic masterpieces. Also visiting, from neighbouring Estonia is the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir conducted by Paul Hillier in a programme of Arvo Pärt together with Toivo Tulev and a world première by Juste Janulyte.

There are also world premières by Ramunas Motiekaitis, Loreta Narvilaite, Ricardas Kabelis, Egidija Medekšaite, Zibuokle Martinaityte (in the Chaplin programme), Feliksas Bajoras and Zita Bruzaite.

After the festival this year - on 27 November - the spirit of Gaida is revived with the visit of Michael Nyman, Sarah Leonard and the Michael Nyman Band come to the National Philharmonic Hall for a programme of Nyman's If and Why, two film scores: Prospero's Books and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, and Man With A Movie Camera.

For full details please visit the Vilnius Festivals website.