This year Algirdas Martinaitis, one of the most prominent and influential Lithuanian composers of the late 20th-21st centuries, recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Art, celebrates his 75th anniversary. The creative field of this exceptionally talented composer encompasses symphonic, chamber and vocal works of various genres, as well as music for theatre productions and films. His music is characterised by lyricism of melodies, meditative and theatrical element.

Martinaitis’ new work for symphony orchestra Gija (Giya) responds to today’s political situation, to the events in Ukraine and Georgia. The composer explains the title of the work in two ways: first of all, the Lithuanian word gija means thread. It is the thread of life and hence the question: where is the thread of human life, who and where is breaking it, what battle lines it is left on? For the composer, gija is also a reference to the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli and his music, which sensitively reflects the questions of existence. Martinaitis explains that “this ten-minute music, Gija (Giya), is like an ex-libris that is put into an envelope and is sent to the now troubled Georgia on behalf of Kancheli. It is carried by the Angel of Sorrow (the title of one of Kancheli’s works), because the carrier pigeon has already been shot somewhere in Ukraine.” To enhance the mood of the work, the composer employed an instrument, the Aztec Jaguar Whistle, brought from Mexico as a souvenir by maestro Robertas Šervenikas. The Aztec Jaguar Whistle is capable of voicing screams, pain and wind.