Bang on a Can All-Stars, the world-famous New York band, will give the European premiere of an exclusive concert in Vilnius. 20 October. The American band will perform music by legendary Japanese pianist and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto from his world-famous films such as The Last Emperor, Wuthering Heights, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, Under the Vault of Heaven, and many others. All of these works by the Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA and other prestigious award-winner were released on Ryuichi Sakamoto's hugely popular 1996 album. This is the title of this concert of Ryuichi Sakamoto's music, which had its world premiere in New York earlier this year and its European premiere in Vilnius.

"We have worked together with Sakamoto and we have always talked about working on a joint project. But we didn't manage to do that, he died suddenly last year. This concert is a tribute to him and his music. Our idea is that most of Sakamoto's music, most of it best known, has been written and recorded for films, but it is hardly ever performed live, only occasionally on solo piano. Therefore, with this project we wanted to bring the music of the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto to concert halls. This concert is a celebration of his music," say the Bang on a Can All-Stars. "But most importantly, it's just an amazing concert!"

Ryuichi Sakamoto's concerts are a huge draw worldwide, whether it's his solo performances, his concerts with German electronic music legend Alva Noto or with other artists. With the European premiere of Sakamoto's music project taking place in Vilnius, and other European concerts to follow, many Sakamoto fans from all over the world are expected to flock to the Lithuanian capital on 20 October. The Sakamoto concert in Vilnius will be a great opportunity for the Lithuanian public to hear the legendary pianist and composer perform live with the cult US ensemble. At least until Sakamoto fans from abroad, and especially from the Baltic States, get their hands on tickets, as this is the only concert in our region so far.

Ryuichi Sakamoto is "the best-known and most successful Japanese musician in the world", as he was described by the weekly magazine "Nikkei Asia". A versatile artist - composer, pianist, member of the renowned Japanese synthpop band Yellow Magic Orchestra since 1978, and a solo career as an electronic music composer and performer - Ryuichi Sakamoto is best known for his music for films. His film debut was in Nagisa Ōshima's 1983 film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Not only did he compose the film's music, which won the composer a prestigious BAFTA Film Award, but he also played one of the leading roles alongside David Bowie and other famous actors. The film's main theme "Forbidden Colours", which became a single, was an instant international hit. Ryuichi Sakamoto's most famous film was Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, released in 1987, for which he won three prestigious awards - a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Oscar - for the soundtrack. He became the first Japanese composer to win the famous American Film Academy statue. Ryuichi Sakamoto has also won various awards for his scores for Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky (1990) and Little Buddha (1993), Alejandro G. Iñárritu's The Legend of Hugh Glass (2015) and The Renevant. He has also worked in other genres: soundtracks, anime films and video games. In 1992, he composed the music for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Barcelona and conducted the orchestra in front of millions of spectators. In 2009, Ryuichi Sakamoto was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.

Ryuichi Sakamoto's 1996 album, according to the Bang on a Can All-stars, consists of "an incredible collection of Sakamoto's best-known soundtracks" - for films such as "The Last Emperor", "Wuthering Heights", "The Little Buddha", "Beneath the Sky", "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and more - as well as tracks specially composed for the album. Most of the pieces for this project were arranged by Bang on a Can All-Stars member, composer and clarinetist Ken Thomson.

The New York Times describes Bang on a Can All-Stars, a sextet that has been in existence since 1992, as a "collective of extraordinary energy, combining the fury of a rock band's playing with the precision and clarity of a classic band's performance". Bang on a Can All-Stars is appreciated worldwide for its extremely dynamic live shows, as Vilnius audiences have had the opportunity to witness on several occasions. The ensemble's concerts in Lithuania are always extremely popular with the public. Blurring the boundaries between contemporary classical, jazz, rock and experimental music, Bang on a Can All-Stars boldly seeks out new repertoire and presents it in a lively and engaging way to the public. The ensemble has collaborated with Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Tan Dun, DJ Spooky and many other renowned artists. "The San Francisco Chronicle has called Bang on a Can All-Stars "the most important vehicle for the American contemporary music movement".