The contemporary music festival “Iš Arti” is a unique artistic platform, organized since 1997, dedicated to the latest, experimental, avant-garde, and modern classical music expressions in the city of Kaunas. The festival aims to serve as a bridge between contemporary creation and an ever-widening audience, encouraging bold sonic experimentation and fostering dialogue between diverse musical traditions and new artistic practices.
The idea of the festival was born out of the need to create a space where contemporary music is not only presented but also contextualized – as a living, dynamic, and evolving art form, closely connected to current cultural and social trends. From the very beginning, the festival has focused not only on concert activity but also on networking, the promotion of national creativity, and international collaboration.
Over nearly three decades, in collaboration with professional performers from Lithuania and abroad, the festival has presented more than 150 stage art premieres. These include works by composers such as V. Bartulis, A. Šenderovas, R. Motiekaitis, J. Jurkūnas, A. Jasenka, N. Valančiūtė, D. Kairaitytė, M. Bialobžeskis, G. Kuprevičius, B. Kutavičius, P. Vasks, T. Makačinas, A. Curran, J. Mieželytė, A. Adler, B. Franke, Z. Bružaitė, R. Mažulis, T. Khaldei, R. Vitkauskaitė, R. Sauter, A. F. Muller, J. Dunn, J. Aglinskas, and many others.
The creators of the festival are distinguished personalities who have significantly contributed to the development of contemporary music and the cultural field in Lithuania:
The initiator and founder of the festival is composer Dalia Kairaitytė – a musicologist, curator, and long-time initiator of cultural projects, who has made a substantial contribution to the development of contemporary music expression in the city of Kaunas, audience education, and the growth of the festival. From 2001 to 2007, the festival’s artistic director was the late composer Vidmantas Bartulis, whose creative and pedagogical work shaped new directions in musical discourse. The diversity of styles, genres, manners, moods, and experiences strengthened the festival’s identity and allowed it to establish itself not only on the city’s but also on the national musical map.
From 2008 to 2022, the festival programme was curated by composer Zita Bružaitė – a cultural management professional and curator who not only explored new artistic directions but also developed international connections and networks. Under her leadership, the festival established a strong position within the contemporary music context of the Baltic states.
During the early years of the festival, a strong identity was formed, grounded in professionalism, creativity, and an open community. The festival quickly became a significant cultural phenomenon in the field of contemporary music, attracting performers and creators from Lithuania and abroad.
Since 2023, the festival’s artistic direction and programme development have taken on a new dynamic. The programme is curated and implemented by Andrijana Filinaitė – Director and co-creator of the programme, responsible for the festival’s strategic development, organisational growth, concert programme development, and international collaboration, and Rokas Naudžius – Head of Artistic Projects and co-creator of the programme, whose vision and creative input shape the programme’s content by bringing together performative, experimental, and conceptual musical projects.
This team continues the festival’s traditions while opening new spaces for dialogue with contemporary music contexts, audience engagement, and interdisciplinary expression. The festival remains open to innovation, encouraging bold projects and artistic experimentation that reflect the diversity and dynamism of contemporary music.
