Baltic Studies Hosts Symposium to celebrate 150th Birthday of M. K. Čiurlionis
The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the birthday of the visionary and pathbreaking Lithuanian artist and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911). On October 30, 2025, philosophers, historians, musicologists, composers, artists, musicians, and curators from multiple countries gathered at Yale’s Humanities Quadrangle for the “Escaping with Čiurlionis” symposium to celebrate his anniversary and reflect on his far-reaching legacy.
The conference began with opening remarks delivered by Bradley Woodworth (Baltic Studies Program Manager and Professor of History at the University of New Haven) and Dovydas Špokauskas (Consul General of Lithuania in New York). The first panel, “Approaches to Čiurlionis,” explored themes of synesthesia, temporality, and modernity in Čiurlionis’ life and work. After a break, we returned for the second Panel, “Uncovering the Depths and Heights of Čiurlionis,” which featured discussions of his philosophical thinking, encoded dedications in his music, and the broader context of his piano music. The symposium concluded with a roundtable where contemporary artists reflected on how Čiurlionis has inspired them. The roundtable featured Emilija Škarnulytė, an independent filmmaker whose Burial (2022) the Baltic Studies Program featured in 2023, Goda Palekaitė, an artist at Hasselt University and PXL-MAD School of Arts, and Kristupas Bubnelis, a DMA candidate in music composition at Columbia University. During the midday break, Sofija—a short film by Škarnulytė inspired by Čiurlionis's 150th anniversary—was also screened.
That evening after the symposium, attendees headed over to Sudler Hall to hear a recital of Čiurlionis’ music performed by Andrius Žlabys and the Haven String Quartet. Žlabys is a Lithuanian-American pianist and composer acclaimed for his luminous interpretations of Bach and contemporary repertoire. A Grammy-nominated artist and Curtis-trained virtuoso, he performs internationally and teaches at Boston University and the Longy School of Music.The Haven String Quartet is a New Haven-based ensemble dedicated both to artistic excellence in chamber music and to social innovation through teaching, mentoring, and community engagement.
Altogether the symposium was a testament to the fascination of artists and scholars Čiurlionis is increasingly capturing far beyond the borders of Lithuania. It was sponsored by the Yale Baltic Studies Program, the Kazickas Family Foundation, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, the Lithuanian Culture Institute, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, and Consulate General of Lithuania in New York.
