M.K. Čiurlionis

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911) was a Lithuanian painter, composer and writer. He was born in Varėna and lived in Druskininkai. In 1885, M.K.Čiurlionis graduated from Druskininkai Folk school. His father taught him to play  the piano and organ freely. A closed friend of the family, Dr. Jozef Markiewicz, recommended him to the Duke Mykolas Oginskis, who had an orchestra school in Plungė.

In 1889 - 1893, he lived in Plugė and learnt to play the different instruments and sang in a chore at orchestra school. In 1894-1899, he was materially supported by M. Oginskis and continued his studies at Warsaw Music Institute. In addition to his speciality, M.K. Čiurlionis also studied theory and history, attended a choir class, studied natural sciences, astronomy, philosophy, numismatics and minerology.

In 1901 - 1902, he studied at Leipzig Concervatory and received a teacher certificate.

In 1904, M.K.Čiurlionis started studying at the Warsaw School of art. Since then, he participated in variuos art exhibitions in St Peterburg, Moscow, Paris, Riga, Minsk etc.

In 1909, he married Sofija Kymantaiteand had a daughter Danute. 

  Two years later, he was seriuosly ill and died in 1911 of pneumonia.

Musical creativity

Today, the archive amounts to almost 400 compositions, the major part of which are works for piano, but also significant opuses for symphony orchestra (symphonic poems In the Forest and The Sea, overture, cantata for choir and orchestra), string quartet, works for various choirs (original compositions and Lithuanian folk song arrangements), as well as works for organ.

Visit a website:

https://www.mic.lt/en/database/classical/composers/ciurlionis/#works

Paintings

M.K. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and art nouveau and was representative of the fin de siecle epoch. He has been considered one of the pioneers of abstract art in Europe

The first paintings of Čiurlionis are dominated by fantastic creatures, mystical kings of the past, features of Lithuanian pagan culture, elements of cosmogony – gods, planets, stars.
The structure of his paintings is related to the parts of the structure of classical music forms like allegro, andante, scherzo and finale. Čiurlionis’ works focus on the national culture of Lithuania’s past and the nature of his native country.

Visit a website

   http://ciurlionis.eu/en/painting/gallery/