In autumn, we will celebrate the anniversary of Artūras Anusauskas, one of Lithuania's most famous jazz pianists, composer, arranger and professor.

He will turn 60 on 26 September, but we will start the celebration the day before, at the anniversary concert to be held at the Kaunas State Philharmonic.

Artūras Anusauskas, who has performed with various musicians across the country on the Kaunas Jazz stage many times before, invites you to a solo performance that will undoubtedly be a feast for jazz gourmets.

The career of the composer and pianist, who has made a name for himself in the musical life of Lithuania, is rich and colourful. In 1985, while still a student, he won the International Jazz Improvisation Competition in Vilnius, starting his impressive path to recognition both in Lithuania and abroad.

Over more than three decades of a successful career, the pianist has won the Leipzig International Improvisation Competition (1997) and the International Jazz Competition in Vilnius (1997).He has performed in the USA, Romania, Estonia, Switzerland (at the legendary Montreux Festival), Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Moldova, Luxembourg, China, Norway and other countries.

The pianist has given many solo piano concerts and has performed with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.

He has also collaborated many times with well-known musicians on the international jazz scene - Steve Houghton (USA), Jimmy Roger Pedersen (Denmark), Jeff Cascaro (Germany), Anne Kierulf (Denmark), Marco Tamburini, Mauro Campobasso, Daniele Scannapieco, Gaetano Partipilo (Italy), and others.

After completing workshops in Denmark and Germany, the musician himself shared his experience at masterclasses in Romania, Moldova, Finland and Germany. Even today, teaching is an important part of his everyday life, as he is the head of the Jazz Department at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

In 1994, Artūras Anusauskas' jazz quintet won the Grand Prix of the Birštonas Festival. In 2005, the composer, musician and pedagogue was awarded the Lithuanian Musicians' Union's Golden Disk Prize for his outstanding artistic activity.

The musician's playing has been recorded on 29 compact discs. Among his recordings are also outstanding albums of original music, such as "Nemiga" (1996), "Tylos puota" (2004) and "Pasakų medis" (2004).

A festive meeting with one of the most prominent masters of Lithuanian jazz is awaiting the audience of this Kaunas Jazz concert.