UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE

Konrad Jarnot (Baritone, UK-DE) & Gustas Raudonius (Piano)

"The Art of Song" – 2nd International Vocal Chamber Music Festival

A festive welcome glass for every guest! Doors open at 18:00.

About the Programme

The repertoire of English song is heard in concert halls far less frequently than the German Lied or French mélodie. This programme brings together the diverse voices of 20th-century English composers—ranging from subtle lyricism and nature-inspired serenity to witty, theatrical miniatures.

Brimming with light, a touch of gentle melancholy, and refined humor, this spring-inspired programme does not strive for grand dramatic effects. Instead, it invites the listener into a sensitive and elegant conversation—full of warmth, positive emotion, and sophisticated simplicity. Here, the English song reveals itself as a delicate and poetic form of chamber music, characterized by restrained elegance and a profound intimacy with the audience.

PROGRAMME
Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) – "Let us garlands bring" – Song cycle to texts by Shakespeare (1929-42)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) – Dover Beach, Op. 3 (1931), lyrics by Matthew Arnold
Madeleine Dring (1923-1977) – Three Shakespeare Songs:
Under the greenwood tree
Come away, death
Blow, blow thou winter wind
Edward Elgar (1857-1934) – Four Songs:
Like to the Damask Rose, lyrics by Simon Wastell
Queen Mary’s Song, lyrics by Alfred Tennyson
Come, gentle night!, lyrics by Clifton Bingham
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) – Songs of Travel, lyrics by Robert Louis Stevenson

Biographies

Konrad Jarnot (Baritone)

British-born baritone Konrad Jarnot is regarded as one of the most brilliant singers of his generation, seamlessly bridging the worlds of opera, oratorio, and vocal chamber music. He has established himself as an international leader in the interpretation of the Lied genre. A graduate with honors from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Prof. Rudolf Piernay, he furthered his studies with the legendary Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

After winning prestigious accolades, including the Kathleen Ferrier "Decca Prize" and First Prize at the ARD International Music Competition, Jarnot became a staple on major European and American stages—from Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and London’s Wigmore Hall to New York’s Lincoln Center. Since 2009, he has held a professorship at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.

"I have recently recorded a new album with Gustas Raudonius featuring Berg, Schumann, and Strauss. Returning to the repertoire that first made me famous twenty-one years ago was a challenge, but to my surprise, the results are deeply satisfying—my voice feels even more flexible and nuanced than in my youth."

Gustas Raudonius (Piano)

Pianist Gustas Raudonius is the Grand Prix winner of the prestigious Nadia and Lili Boulanger International Voice-Piano Competition. A graduate of the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Art and the Vytautas Magnus University Music Academy, he specialized in the art of the Lied at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf.

Since 2024, he has served as a faculty member at the Hochschule while performing alongside world-renowned singers. His recording credits include cycles by Schumann, Messiaen, and Strauss for the German national broadcaster SWR and various studio projects. In 2024, together with Lithuanian baritone Tomas Kildišius, he achieved the highest honor (Grand Prix) at the Boulanger competition in Paris, solidifying his reputation as a master of vocal accompaniment.