Lunchtime Concert – Thursday 26th February 2026 at 1pm

Emilija Karaliute playing the Kanklės – (Lithuanian Harp)

We are excited to welcome Emilija for what promises to be a very special concert, and the first time we have heard the kanklės played at St Mary’s. Emilija will also be talking about the culture of Lithuania and the history of the instrument.

Emilija is a professional classical and folk musician who began studying the kanklės in Lithuania from an early age, developing a deep connection to the instrument and its cultural roots. She has been playing the kanklės for 16 years and has been awarded the title of the National Laureate of Lithuania twice. The kanklės is the Lithuanian National instrument, which remains relatively unknown to many. Emilija is passionate about sharing the kanklės with new audiences, promoting the diversity of Lithuanian culture. Now a regular performer in the UK, with her recent solo shows in Paris and Berlin, Emilija continues to engage audiences with her ability to integrate the kanklės into diverse genres, including classical, contemporary, and folk music.

The Programme for the concert will include the following:

o Alfonsas Mikulskis – The Forest Idyll (III parts)
o Valentinas Bagdonas – The Dawn is Breaking
o Juozas Naujalis – Dear Lithuania
o Jonas Svedas – Prelude and Fugue in C Major
o Alphonse Hasselmans – Nocturne, Op. 43
o Felix Mendelssohn – On Wings of Song
o Claude Debussy – La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
o Claude Debussy – En Bateau
o Takatsugu Muramatsu – Land
o Caroline Elizabeth Harding – Rebmaer

Booking not required, we have a collection at the end of the concert.