Music for Cello and Piano (Antons Rosputko / Gļebs Pišņjaks)

On 24 November at 19:00, two outstanding musicians will come together at Riga Culture and Folk Art Centre “Mazā ģilde” to present an exceptionally beautiful programme for classical music enthusiasts. The refinement of Robert Schumann’s music, the melodic richness and brilliance of Edvard Grieg, the passion and depth of César Franck, and the rhythms of Astor Piazzolla’s Argentine tango – more precisely, his Le Grand Tango, dedicated to the great musician and remarkable individual Mstislav Rostropovich – will transport listeners into an enchanting musical world filled with emotion and profound expression.

Gļebs Pišņjaks is one of the most outstanding cellists of his generation in the Baltic States. At the age of just 14, he made his debut as a soloist with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Professor Saulius Sondeckis, on the stage of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. Since then, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in numerous prestigious concert halls, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the Quirinal Palace in Rome.

In 1998, Gļebs Pišņjaks entered the Balys Dvarionas Music School in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he studied cello under Tatjana Kuca. He continued his education at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre under Professor Rimantas Armonas, earning a bachelor’s degree. He subsequently pursued further studies in Vienna under the renowned Natalia Gutman and Johannes Meissl. During his studies, he also attended masterclasses with Yo-Yo Ma, Mstislav Rostropovich, Ivry Gitlis, Heinrich Schiff and many other distinguished musicians.

As a soloist, cellist Gļebs Pišņjaks has performed with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Porto Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Rīga, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, Vidzeme Chamber Orchestra, Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra and Camerata Ars Lituanica. He has given solo and chamber music concerts in numerous European countries, China and the United States.

In 2006, Gļebs Pišņjaks received an award from Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus for promoting Lithuania internationally. In 2020, he was also honoured by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.

Since 2019, Gļebs Pišņjaks has been a lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Antons Rosputko is one of the most brilliant pianists of the younger generation. Born in 1993 in Jūrmala, Latvia, he currently lives in Vienna. Antons is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions and has participated in various music festivals.

The pianist received awards from the Latvian Ministry of Culture in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as the Latvian Recognition Award in 2009. In 2012, he was awarded a scholarship from the Hübel Foundation. In 2009, Antons became a prizewinner of the Mozarteum International Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria, which gave him the opportunity to perform at the renowned Salzburg Festival.

The pianist began his musical education at Jūrmala Music School, where his teachers were Tatjana Pavļučenko and Jānis Maļeckis. From 2010 to 2017, Antons Rosputko studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria, under Professor Pavel Gililov, graduating with distinction from both his bachelor’s and master’s programmes. Since 2017, he has attended the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola, Italy, under Professor Boris Petrushansky.

Antons has also participated in masterclasses with Armen Babakhanian, Arkady Sevidov, Sergei Maltsev, Anatol Ugorski