September 21st, 5:00 PM
For the first time since 1811, the Vilnius Town Hall will host a musical performance titled The Missing Nightingale of Vilnius. This performance revives the legacy of the “Small” Theatre, which was led by actress and impresario Marcijana Korvel-Moravska. The play tells the story of early 19th-century Vilnius, where an extraordinary couple lived and worked—Professor Jozef Frank and opera diva Kristina Gerhardi-Frank. Jozef Frank led the Pathology Department at the Medical Faculty of Vilnius University and was instrumental in founding the Vilnius Medical Society, as well as institutes for Medicine, Vaccination, and Maternity. His work in the city was remarkably innovative and progressive, as similar institutions were not yet established in Europe at that time. Frank made significant contributions to improving public health in Vilnius and provided aid to impoverished patients. The house on Didžioji Street, where the professor and his wife lived, was long referred to as simply Frank’s House.
The performance is created and directed by Eglė Tulevičiūtė, with actors Saulius Sipaitis, Eglė Tulevičiūtė, Kristijonas Siparis, and Nerijus Račkaitis. Opera soloist Natalija Katilienė and pianist Eglė Perkumaitė will provide the music. The performance will feature works by Kristina Gerhardi-Frank’s contemporaries and friends, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Joseph Haydn, Michał Kleofas Ogiński, and others.
Organizers: Theatre “Arbatvakariai,” The House-Museum of Marija and Jurgis Šlapeliai. Partner: Vilnius Town Hall. Sponsors: Vilnius City Municipality, Saulius Karosas Charity and Support Fund.
