Arutunian - Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (Algirdas Januševičius, LVSO)

Algirdas Januševičius and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Karolis Variakojis perform Trumpet Concerto by Alexander Arutunian. The recording was made during Januševičius' 60th anniversary concert at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in November 2021. The programme of the night included various works for trumpet and orchestra, which Januševičius performed on seven different instruments and five mouth pieces.

Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto in A♭ major (1950) is the Armenian composer's sixth major composition, a "virtuoso showpiece" composed in 1949-1950. According to J. Sundram, "it is an energetic powerhouse of Eastern European lyricism and harmonic textures". This engaging and idiomatic trumpet concerto was "quickly assimilated into the standard trumpet repertoire worldwide, earning highest international praise from audiences, critics and performers". In an interview with Allan Kozinn of The New York Times, Philip Smith, the former principal trumpeter of the New York Philharmonic, observed that Arutunian's Trumpet Concerto was frequently chosen as an audition piece at Juilliard. "One of the reasons this piece has become so popular..." Smith said, "is just that it's a flashy piece. It has a very gypsyish, Russian, Armenian kind of sound, with very soulful, beautiful melodies and plenty of exciting rapid-tonguing kind of things.'" This work is an excellent example of the impact that Armenian folk culture had on Arutunian's compositions, showcased through improvisational-sounding melodies from the Ashik tradition, and the consistent use of the augmented second throughout the piece.

Algirdas Januševičius was born in Klaipėda, studied at the Stasys Šimkus Conservatory, and later continued his studies at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In 1987 he joined the orchestra of the Klaipėda Musical Theatre as the principal trumpeter. In 1991 he moved to Vilnius, where he became the principal trumpet player of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. This position he holds to this day, making him one of the longest serving principal trumpeters in the world.

Januševičius has given concerts with various ensembles and orchestras in about 40 world countries, the most famous concert halls of Europe as well as China, Egypt, India, Japan, and Thailand. He played with such conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Eiji Oue, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mstislav Rostropovich, Saulius Sondeckis, and others. In 1997 he established the "Sostinės Vario Kvintetas", one of the leading brass ensembles in Lithuania.