Passion radiates from every stroke of her bow as Brookline resident Egle Jarkova performs at her benefit concert for Vivace Vilnius International Summer Music Festival. Jarkova’s dedication and reverence for the music is matched only by her enthusiasm and commitment to the festival which she founded 13 years ago to support promising young musicians.
The intimate setting of the Pucker Gallery means that one is surrounded by beautiful artwork while listening to the soul nourishing strains emanating from Jarkova’s violin accompanied by the masterful Christina Wright-Ivanova on piano. Jarkova opted to start the program with a melody brought to her two years ago from a festival participant from Ukraine, where Jarkova has ensured that students receive special scholarships for transportation, lodging and per diem expenses. As one of her goals of the festival is to create lasting connections for the participants from a variety of countries which have included Albania, China, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States, this seemed a fitting beginning to the concert. Her heartfelt rendition brought the struggles and the hope of this valiant country into the room, bringing us a piece of people so far away, but with whom we are inextricably linked.
The two performed Adagio from Bulgarian composer P. Hadjiev and Sonata for violin and piano by C. Franck, bringing us together through the rise and fall of rhythm and sound.
Fellow Lithuanian Domas Žeromskas, jazz pianist with Berklee students Jaden Anderson (bass) and Gilberto Moretti-Hamilton (drums) arranged a piece by Kristina Vasiliauskaitė and inspired by a poem by B. Brazdžionis. He quoted this portion of the poem, emphasizing the connection between nature, music, humanity and the importance of nurturing these connections.
On Your palm.
the farmsteads of our homeland.
gardens, pinewoods and our fields,
And our little hearts will only be at peace
When like a dove you hold it in Your Sovereign hand.
Wright-Ivanova underscored this with her closing piece by Liszt: Harmonies du Soir, which features not Liszt’s usual display of so many rapidly played notes, but instead showcases the more subtle “shapes and flavors that comprise a musical tapestry of color and beauty.” Wright-Ivanova also highlighted the importance of bringing music to the schools, and how many children are saved by music and art, how much humanity depends on this.
Jarkova teaches violin and heads the string department at the Brookline School of Music. She reflects on the assistance that she received in order to achieve her current status as Queen Morta Premium Laureate title, and to study at the Boston Conservatory, Boston University and other venues in Italy en route to her prize winning performances in several national and international competitions. The Vivace Vilnius festival provides free education taught by elite music teachers, and concerts from critically acclaimed musicians for the people in Vilnius who have a deep love and regard for classical music. When asked about the advertising of the concerts in Vilnius, Jarkova immediately replied that advertising is not necessary. One need only announce the concerts and they will fill the hall. I found this to be true for every concert in the summer of 2023 when fortunate enough to attend in person.
The festival also includes a sharing of ideas between doctors and educators about musical therapy, and the participants in the festival perform at the Santaros Children’s Hospital for patients and staff. Thus Jarkova is able to honor her homeland, where her love of classical and Jewish music ignited, while also providing opportunities for young people to meet, learn from international virtuosos, and each other, and perform on an international stage in historic venues throughout the city.
It is striking that this young woman, now 36, has for 13 years been organizing an international festival, while also teaching, playing, and raising her now seven year old daughter. Her eye for detail and time spent in creating every aspect of the concert as well as the festival reflects her insistence on quality and respect for not only the musicians, but the audience, and her deep desire to connect the two. Her vision for the strength of connection that music provides is grounded in her own experience, and her conviction about its meaning for young musicians. It is a language to which we all have access, and through the notes written sometimes centuries ago, we can hear shades of ourselves, and of others around the world as a reminder that we are all a part of the same dance.
We sat spellbound in the gallery by these musicians who conveyed with their whole hearts what is meaningful to them, what speaks to their souls and transmits to ours. One cannot overestimate the reach that the festival has, and in years to come we will see these young musicians as they make their way to venues around the world. A treat to anticipate, and to support.
For more information, please visit www.vivacevilnius.org
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About Meg
Meg is a licensed independent clinical social worker with over thirty-five years clinical experience. She holds a Master’s Degree from the Boston University School of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Binghamton.