Elizabethtown College Adjunct Instructor of Cello Frances Borowsky recently performed in Lithuania as a part of the acclaimed family ensemble, The American Virtuosi.
The ensemble traveled to the country to perform as featured guests at the Alytus 2022 Cultural Capital of Lithuania summer festivities, from Aug. 23 to 28. While there, the group also worked with young Lithuanian musicians in workshops and collaborative performances.
“This kind of interaction provides the opportunity for me to build relationships with other musicians and create an impact through the sharing of knowledge and tools that I have amassed throughout the years, in a way that is truly satisfying and makes the trip much more personal,” Borowsky said.
The group performed compositions by many notable classical composers as well as works by known Lithuanian composers Balys Dvarionas and Giedrius Kuprevičius. To close the concert, the ensemble performed an original composition, “In Memoriam,” a piece they first debuted in 2013, comprised of an array of symbolic songs honoring the history of Lithuania, both somber and uplifting.
Given the current political climate throughout Eastern Europe, the performance was deeply moving for the performers and audience members, alike. Listeners were so inspired by the experience that they eventually joined together, in singing.
“Admittedly, it sometimes feels like there is nothing we can do when news of far (or close) crises reaches us,” Borowsky said. “But time and time again, music has proved its power in bringing people together in unified energy and purpose.”
The American Virtuosi ensemble is made up of Frances Borowsky on cello and her two siblings, Emmanual Borowsky on violin and Elizabeth Borowsky on piano, along with parents Charles and Cecylia. The group toured in over 35 countries, and this is the third trip the ensemble has made to Lithuania.
“Learning, performing, and traveling together has given us a lot of common ground in terms of understanding each other,” Borowsky said. “Although we perform with other musicians as well and enjoy the unique energy that each collaboration brings, there is really something special about when we work together.”
While performing abroad, Borowsky and her family’s mission is to act as “musical diplomats” and actively work to close the divide between people and cultures, through their music. “It’s too easy for people to generalize and assume what a country (or culture) is all about, based on history, news, pop culture…The reality is that we need to simply spend time with each other trying to understand and appreciate what each one brings to the table,” Borowsky said.
