This year, Lithuania marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, one of its most extraordinary cultural figures. A child prodigy who mastered piano by age five and organ by six, Čiurlionis became Lithuania’s first modern composer and a groundbreaking painter. During his tragically short life – he died at 35 – he created 400 musical pieces and 300 works of art, pioneering new forms like pictorial sonatas that fused painting and music.
The commemoration plan features 146 activities spanning exhibitions, concerts, educational initiatives, and scientific projects across more than 10 Lithuanian cities and several countries. What makes this celebration particularly special is its scope – from a delicate peony blossom to the International Space Station, the festivities will present Čiurlionis’s legacy in ways that bridge tradition and innovation.
Cultural Events: From Exhibition Halls to Garden Beds
At the heart of the celebration is the international exhibition “From Amber to the Stars. Together with M. K. Čiurlionis: Then and Now” at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, bringing together works by artists who share Čiurlionis’s visionary approach. The exhibition will explore two interconnected entities that inspired Čiurlionis – the Sea and the Cosmos – through works by contemporary artists and historical masters.
“We have selected contemporary and modern artists who, like Čiurlionis, demonstrate that breathtaking ability to change the course of art and connect scientific ideas with artistic expression,” says exhibition curator Greta Katkevičienė. “Most of these works, including classical masterpieces by Joseph Mallord William Turner and William Blake, are coming to Lithuania for the first time.”
The exhibition will feature a particularly moving piece created specifically for the anniversary: an installation by Tania Kovats, depicting the full moons of 1875. It invites visitors to experience the very same celestial skies that happened to welcome Čiurlionis into this world.
In a unique tribute, plant breeder Pranciškus Puidokas has created a new hybrid peony variety named after Čiurlionis. From a distance, he notes, the two-toned peony gives the impression of being painted.
“Peonies are deeply rooted in Lithuanian culture, symbolizing wealth, success, and longevity. This new variety connects our botanical heritage with Čiurlionis’s artistic legacy,” explains Dr. Gitana Štukėnienė, a botanist at Vilnius University Botanical Garden, which will help showcase the flower. Visitors will have the opportunity to see this new variety, along with other Lithuanian-bred flowers, at the special exhibition “Blossoms for the 150th anniversary of M.K. Čiurlionis” in June.
The celebration will extend beyond traditional venues with “The Wave of Songs by M. K. Čiurlionis,” a concert tour celebrating his folk song arrangements across nine Lithuanian cities. “Through these folk songs, we want people to feel a connection not only with Čiurlionis but also with the deep Lithuanian tradition that underpins his entire body of work,” says project coordinator Rimantė Sodeikienė. The tour will culminate in Vilnius, bringing Čiurlionis’s choral folk songs back to where they were first performed under his own direction.
Meanwhile, Druskininkai, the artist’s hometown, will serve as Lithuania’s Cultural Capital for 2025. The city will open the Čiurlionis year with a spectacular electronic music symphony, “The Big Swift,” inspired by the artist’s work. World-famous French choreographer Sadek Berrabah, whose credits include collaborations with Shakira and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is creating the choreography for this opening spectacle. Throughout the summer, the city will also host an international arts festival featuring performers from across the globe, including Japan’s INFINI women’s choir and piano virtuoso Nami Ejiri.
“Druskininkai has always been a truly European place, renowned for its unique natural and intellectual climate, as well as its remarkably rich aura,” shares Raimonda Varaškaitė, Director of Druskininkai Cultural Centre. “This is not just a town for quality recreation but also a place that sparks creativity. The same was true for Čiurlionis – the resort town gave him the opportunity to immerse himself in the great world. Now, it’s our turn to offer those same opportunities to the next generation of creative minds.”
Innovation Meets Legacy: New Technologies Explore Čiurlionis’s World
The anniversary celebrations embrace modern technology to offer fresh perspectives on Čiurlionis’s work. A groundbreaking virtual reality experience, “The Creation of the World,” invites viewers to step inside his paintings. “Virtual reality allows contemporary society, especially young people, to discover Čiurlionis in an entirely new way,” notes Lukas Verpetinskas, project director. “With the versatility of his work and his view of the world, Čiurlionis can be seen as a pioneer of multimedia, and VR makes it possible to combine his works into a whole in a particularly sensitive way, opening a window into the inner world of the artist.”
The soundtrack of “The Creation of the World” draws on Čiurlionis’s symphonic poem of the same name, enhancing the immersive visual experience of entering his works. “Every visual element has been meticulously recreated – from the original colours and textures to the subtle shifts in lighting and individual brushstrokes,” Verpetinskas explains. “We wanted to preserve the artist’s authentic style while exploring the recurring theme of creative power in his work – the creation of mythological, spiritual, physical, and parallel worlds that exist simultaneously.”
Perhaps the most innovative project of the Čiurlionis year is the creation of an imaginary opera “Jūratė” using artificial intelligence. The opera brings to life Čiurlionis’s unfulfilled dream – towards the end of his life, he had begun planning this work but never completed it. “Drawing on his creative legacy and existing documents, we’re using AI to imagine how this opera might have sounded,” shares producer Ana Ablamonova.
Beyond Borders: Taking Čiurlionis to the World
The celebration stretches far beyond Lithuania’s borders. The artist’s works will be exhibited at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, making it only the second time his art will have been shown in Japan. In a particularly fitting tribute, Vilnius Airport will be renamed after Čiurlionis for five years, joining the ranks of airports honouring great artists.
Most ambitiously, Čiurlionis’s music will reach for the stars – quite literally. On September 22, 2025, his birthday, his compositions will be performed on the International Space Station. It’s a particularly appropriate venue for an artist who painted sonatas of stars and pyramids, inviting viewers to explore vast cosmic horizons. This extraordinary tribute captures the essence of the entire anniversary celebration – paying homage to Čiurlionis’s legacy while pushing the limits, just as the artist himself did throughout his remarkable career.
