The art of balancing: Discussion with Simonas Poška

This interview/discussion was conducted on May 25, 2025, at Ars Augusta headquarters. Simonas Poška (S) talks to interviewer Eleni Ioannidou (E) who registered the answers on her phone.

Simonas Poška (Photo: Jonas Šopa)

S: Like in a court of law: everything you say can be used against you later (laughs).

E: You can say anything freely and hide nothing. We stand for freedom of expression here. So, let´s begin with the first question. What is music education like in Lithuania? Do you feel that your country has supported you well?

S: Yes, for sure. There are lots of amazing teachers who really care and are willing to work much more than they are officially required. I also feel that now there are more and more people who are learning to play instruments not because they’re trying to pursue professional musical paths, but just for the sake of enjoyment and genuine interest. When I started in Germany five years ago, I found that there were lots of "amateurs", people who could play some instrument a little bit and were quite knowledgeable in classical music: they knew about composers, what is a sonata, what is a symphony or an orchestra. From my experience growing up in Lithuania, I felt that not that many people “dared” to take up classical music, there weren’t that many amateurs, house concerts used to be a rarity... This is changing now: more and more people are learning out of genuine interest and for the sake of enjoyment – the gap between “elitist” professionals and simple music lovers is rapidly shrinking.

E: What do you mean "now"? When began this new tendency?

S: It’s hard to say, maybe in the past five or seven years – these things are very gradual… Even though I’m very often in Lithuania, I’m still not fully living there, so it’s difficult to say. But by observing, talking to my Lithuanian colleagues and trying to feel the pulse as much as possible I feel that this tendency is happening and it’s great.

E: So, you feel that all these amateur musicians that are not learning music to become professionals but just for the sake of enjoying, is a good tendency?

S: I think yes. Not only is the audience more knowledgeable that way, but I believe that when people manage to experience classical music deeply, something changes in their mind and in their emotional state – it can be therapeutic. But from the standpoint of concert halls and attendance, it might also simply mean more people in the audience – more music lovers. They might recognize the composers or pieces – it’s much easier to follow anything when you have prior exposure or knowledge in it.

E: I want to inform you that in Germany in these last years a lot of projects are created to support amateur musicianship. Projects, funding and even musical academies are concentrating in create teachers of music for the small cities, to teach music to simple people and create amateur ensembles and support them in their touring abroad. Perhaps it´s a global tendency.

S: Perhaps yes. But I wanted to say that in Lithuania, there are some of the most amazing teachers, who (like I said) are very dedicated and sacrifice themselves, but in some institutions sadly there are still a few very terrible tendencies that trace back to the soviet times where teachers compare the students to each other, sometimes even insult them. Some teachers could tell a student "you will not achieve anything" and then, when they do achieve something, they go "oh, I taught you to have tougher skin". Often incredibly talented students who are more psychologically sensitive don’t make it to the top just because of these examples of very harsh, teaching. Instead of helping the student progress it creates resentment and hate towards music.

E: Do you think that in Germany teachers cannot be like that?

S: From my experience teachers in Germany talk about stress and how to deal with it much more, but in my opinion, it can also come to the other extreme, because, you know, if you are so free, everything’s allowed, it can also lead to students not being aware that they lack discipline etc. But on the other hand, this over pressuring, over forcing, over pushing is worse, because people get emotionally destroyed while maybe even being more talented than others. Maybe when they are still young, still developing, they just need a few words of encouragement and that could define their future, help them reach their potential.

E: I had a similar story with a teacher like that in Germany. He was 80 years old, a famous baritone, so not only soviets are like that. It´s an old generation of artists and also sometimes it happens that great soloists have not the sensitivity a teacher needs.

S: This is the thing about making everyone strictly go "through the same system": instead of actually recognizing that each person is different, you often neglect their strengths. Some students are actually very tough naturally and they do need somebody to be hard on them in order to progress, but others, more sensitive ones, when faced with insults and rudeness, they just get repelled and sadly that is still happening in some schools in Lithuania. I was very lucky to have a teacher who was amazing in this psychological side as well, even though I wasn’t the one who could break very easily.

E: So you noticed that in other artists?

S: I have friends, who broke just because the teachers couldn’t recognize their psychological situation at that moment and were bringing them down with each comment. And you know, as a child you are still developing, you believe what your professors are saying and you take everything personally - the teacher is almost like your parent. And when this figure of authority starts saying “with this playing, you can say goodbye to your piano career”, or “as a teacher I am ashamed to send you to any competition”, or “you are nothing compared to your classmates” then a young sensitive artist can break very easily. For some it works, as I said, but definitely not for all. With that being said, in my opinion this issue is getting better – there are more and more humaine teachers who are competent and sensible at the same time. Sadly some "older generation" teachers still believe they can use their authority to insult and manipulate the students. Maybe they themselves were raised this way and haven’t experienced a different way of teaching, it’s hard to say…

E: Are you talking about musicians who were good pianists before teaching or musicians who were pedagogues from the beginning? Because you know, there are artists who did amazing career as soloists and at the end of their life they teach in a university. This doesn´t mean that they are good teachers. Pedagogy is a talent, not everybody can be a teacher.

S: That’s true. There are also cases where some musicians didn’t make it as soloists and then took up teaching as a backup – something they maybe didn’t want, but had to do. Often thinking that they deserve much more than teaching, that they’re better than that, they possibly take some of their frustration on students. In general pedagogy is a very young profession. Before it was treated like this: if you were a good performer you have to be a good teacher, it was natural, but now people understand that this is not always the case.

E: This is your interview, but my story confirms that the best teachers in my life was a performer who was very sensitive himself and experienced a lot of emotional difficulties during his life, so he was very supportive for his students also emotionally and indeed most of them achieved great successes. This was the baritone Kostas Paschalis in Greece. The second amazing teacher I met, was in Italy, it was Sherman Lowe in Venice, who was also a baritone. He leaved his own career (perhaps because he had a small voice) to dedicate to teaching. And he was studying the human voice like scientifically, supporting his students and even traveling to their concerts to see how they performed on the stage. He had also some of the most amazing students in career. It´s a talent to be a teacher!

S: Yes, I agree and sadly not all teachers understand that.

E: And more students don´t know that, that´s why it´s good that we do this interview.

S: The students and the pupils also, while they are in school: how should they know that? So it´s a big responsibility being a teacher, especially teaching children. But when you are holding your position just to fulfill your ego by destroying the hopes of some young kids, always showing off and in general constantly “knowing better” no matter who you’re teaching, then it’s very tough. Luckily, Lithuania is moving forward very fast and I feel that now there’s very little examples of that left. I just think it’s important to talk about it, so that more people can recognize this type of behaviour.

E: All manuals about narcissist disorder and its victims say that if you see signs of psychological abuse and somebody is trying to keep you down, go immediately away. Narcissistic natures can be really destructive. That means, the parents of the pupil must know: if the child comes home crying and is unhappy, stop the teacher immediately! No?

S: Yes, it means something isn’t working. I’m very happy that Lithuania after being under occupation for decades is rapidly moving away from the soviet school of piano teaching, which is a very selective school. In Germany, for example, it’s much less selective in my opinion – even if you are more sensitive, or maybe even less gifted, you still get a chance, you’re treated with respect.

E: That is actually a good thing in Germany that the standards have fallen. 20 years before there were champions everywhere, now less ...

S: Basketball is now very good ....

E: Yes, but you know, they´ve lost on one side the championship, but they are more open for new kind of persons, more "inclusive" and that is also a good thing. A value actually. You give the chance also to "outsiders" to do something. I mean, in this country, me, a complete outsider had the possibility to create a "Lied Competition".

S: I agree. But of course, it’s also the responsibility of a teacher, in one way or another to be able to communicate the reality, so the student doesn’t grow up delusional: if a teacher sees their aspiring student going "into the industry" and striving to make a career as a pianist for example, at some point the teacher has to inform the student of what the industry is like, what the context is, what are the truths in the competitions, what are the managers like and so on. But again, there are different ways to tell it to different students. If you just always say "you are not going to make it, you are too weak for this", then it’s very difficult... Who knows, perhaps the student might become an amazing Lied-pianist for example, which is a very specific genre, success doesn’t mean you only need to be a recital soloist – it’s about finding your own path.

E: So, turning back to the first question. You are satisfied from the education in Lithuania?

S: Absolutely. I attended the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts where I got an all-round education (music and general education). In the school I was supported well and of course I had an incredible teacher.

E: Who was that?

S: Eglė Jurkevičiūtė-Navickienė. I started having lessons with her from the second grade of my school, since I was nine years old and then I went on to study with her for the next eleven years.

E: You began with nine to play piano?

S: No, with 7, with another teacher but she left for her maternity leave so I switched to Eglė, who I ended up staying with.

E: Tell us about this teacher, who I understand she is a kind of "ideal teacher". Why?

S: First of all – she is a true artist. She develops intuition and focuses on meaning. She’s incredibly dedicated - if she sees potential in someone, she will pour all of her heart to reach it. Once I was preparing for a competition, she gave me lessons every single day before the competition: seven lessons in a week!

E: Privately or at the school?

S: At the school.

E: And she did it also to other pupils?

S: I don’t know. When pupils have important concerts or competitions, she works additionally. But I also understand that it’s not possible to do it all the time with everyone - she must also preserve herself, you know, these are extra hours.

E: Do you still visit her for lessons?

S: I actually do that almost every month, I still go and play for her.

E So, is she the best teacher in your life?

S: I don’t know, I’m still studying and I’m to this day very lucky with the teachers I’ve had. But with Eglė I’ve been the longest and she basically gave me everything. She shaped my intuition, developed my instincts, my own individual hearing, she would always encourage me: "try to find", “search more” and if she saw that I go to a strange direction, she would slightly nudge my way back, but not with "do that and only that".

E: Are there more good pianists in her class like you?

S: Yes, but it´s always changing. Some teachers are constantly going to different festivals, giving masterclasses all over the world and therefore have a lot of connections. Many students go to them just for those connections, but it doesn’t automatically mean that they teach well and that they fit for everyone. My teacher doesn’t advertise herself but quietly does her job in the school. I feel that now more and more pupils trust her, but there could be even more… I believe you can recognize the good teachers in how they work with the average students: if they manage to maximize their potential and elevate them to a level much higher than what you would normally expect - then it’s definitely a sign of an amazing teacher. Because the very talented, they will probably still be good, no matter what the teacher is, but if you are less gifted and your teacher still manages to make you look great, then it’s incredible.

E: We are still in the first question. Do you think that it also depends on the pupil, to get the best of his teacher? You said many musicians do not appreciate a good teacher, and some appreciate them, like you. So for the right pupil is the right teacher, they find each other, they work well but it´s not for everyone the same.

S. Absolutely. It depends on many things, like playing style, character, which part of their journey the student is in. Sometimes the personalities just don’t match, if you don´t fit, so you don´t fit - it´s not personal. There are cases where students are afraid to change teachers, because the teacher would take it as a personal insult – it would hurt their reputation in front of their colleagues… Teachers would manipulate their students into staying, which is obviously not the best for them. Similar story with taking lessons from other teachers.

E: Are you talking about a personal experience?

S: No, as I said, I stayed with my teacher because we clicked very well, but I have heard and even observed such terrible cases with others.

(Photo: Jonas Šopa)

E: Let´s go to the next question. You said once, that when you will finish your studies, you want to go back and live in Lithuania. Why is Lithuania attracting you so much and what is it giving to you? You love your homeland very much and you don´t want to break the connection to it?

S: I do love my home country very much and the connection with my roots means a lot to me. I get stability from that and even if I don´t live there, the fact that I am still needed in my country, that I am still invited for concerts and other activities like theater and voicing films, is very important to me. The Lithuanian national cultural scene is still relatively young and constantly developing. Growing up I was in a very high-level school - the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts, with an incredible teacher and now I want to give back to my country. I want to be part of this cultural scene, make it more visible, more attractive for international artists and in general...

E: So you feel this national element in your personality, that you are Lithuanian...

S: Absolutely.

E: And you would like (as you said) to be part of the growth and developement of your country for the future.

S: Yes, because I feel that I can be helpful with that and therefore I want to be a part of it. I am now studying abroad and I will most likely continue for many years, but after all the travels, I feel that I want to go back to Lithuania. That’s my feeling now. But also, all the sentiments aside, it just honestly keeps getting better for an artist: the infrastructure, the awareness of the audience, like I said, more people are educated and there are so many talented people. So many! This view, that you must do your good work silently, is really (smiles) ... it doesn’t always help. I would say Lithuanian people are more reserved, we aren’t always encouraged to stand out, but nevertheless there’s so much stand-out art constantly being created, so many distinctive artists! And yet, unfortunately, a lot of times they evaluate themselves quite low or maybe are too afraid to look arrogant and therefore aren’t talking about their achievements loud enough, they aren’t celebrating them. In some western countries people often “shout” while having done much less - often you don´t hear the end of it. That’s of course the other side – one must also have respect and understand boundaries. Lithuanians are mostly good at being humble, but being humble doesn’t necessarily mean being silent and not celebrating your achievements – sadly, most of the time no one is going to do it for you and your talent and art might be left unseen. So I want to help people understand that they are much better than they think and to help spread the word about Lithuanian artists.

E: These questions and answers showed me that you are not only concentrated in your self and your own career but you have an awareness about other artists too, you would like to show a way to the artists of your country.

S: And the responsibility to give back to my country, where I was raised.

E: Somebody gave to you, and you give back or you give to other younger artists.

S: Yes. For example, recently after a concert in Lithuania two younger (maybe five years younger) pupils came to me saying "we are studying piano in the local school, we were very happy to come to the concert, we just wanted to say thank you". I remembered doing this myself – as a pupil in school, after concerts I used to go and thank the performers and now I see the younger generation doing the same. They were very open (actually very characteristic of the young Lithuanian generation - they are very courageous and confident), I invited them to join me for dinner and later they asked if they could have a masterclass with me the next day. I was leaving quite early in the morning but still from 8 am. I had one hour, so I agreed. I found it important - giving back is crucial.

E: Wonderful. Evidently you have a good contact with your audience, we can see it in the story of these two young musicians. How do you feel about your audience? Is it like "this stranger sitting over there, makes me fear"?

S: I am not afraid of the audience. It’s a crucial part of the "live music making experience” and I recognize the importance of the audience; I thank the people.

E. What is the importance of the audience?

S: During a LIVE performance, there is a kind of bond being formed: as a listener you know that every moment is happening in real time, it cannot be undone and you are in this together, you experience it together with others. Ideally, the performer is aware of this and is actively nurturing this bond. Many things have to go right, but if the bond is formed, such connection can be incredibly powerful, it radiates enormous energy, which impacts the way the performer is playing and also how the audience is experiencing it. I believe that this kind of communication is the essence and the “magic” of live music. That’s why people also come to concerts instead of only listening to recordings.

E: That means that you appreciate more live concerts than recordings?

S: No, not necessarily - it´s just a different thing. You can replay recordings many times and you will know what you are getting. But incredibly, every time it works differently: on a second listen you might hear more details, maybe you will be anticipating certain things, maybe your brain will start craving for a specific recording again and again, or sometimes you just simply want to be alone with the music, somewhere that’s not a hall… It´s just a different type of experience, different style of listening.

E: It seems that you are very positive. Everything is good for you... except bad teachers who destroy pupils.

S: Not everything is good. I talked about many problems as well...

E: For example some pianists like Gould, liked more recordings and Richter had some problems with audience, but you like everything.

S: It is so.

E: Let´s go to another question. Do you feel some spiritual connection to some composers more than to other composers?

S: Yes, but it also changes very often, because as a person you constantly grow and develop. What interests me, comes in waves and it’s a privilege to have so much different music, which works differently in various phases of my life. At one point I might enjoy a "bravura" - very virtuoso and very show-like music, while another time I will need a very solemn, lonely and quiet music. With that said, composers that usually stay with me are Messiaen, Liszt, Bach and ... yeah ... and Beethoven. There are so many others, and they change very often…

E: There are good friends, that we say: I want to keep them for my whole life, with other persons ok, you meet them, you stay some years in their company and then they go. There are these "Seelenverwandte", when the spirits are very similar. You mentioned Messiaen, Liszt, Bach. Are all these three connected with something like religion? Beethoven was perhaps not religious, but had also a strict Ethos. If somebody in his environment behave not very ethicaly, he got very angry. His only opera "Fidelio" was written to celebrate fidelity. Do you confirm that this spiritual values are important also for you? Are you like them?

S: ... (thinking)... yes. For me spirituality is always there when you approach music honestly. It´s something that is really hard to describe, but when it’s there - I feel it. When you reach this state where your imagination and intuition are completely free, you feel every nuance, you’re "speaking to the audience", you feel that the they’re listening, you feel like you are inside the piece, you are inside the painting, in the scene... Then I feel a kind of "spirituality" - it´s like talking to some greater powers, or those powers are talking through me. In my opinion, music surely has some greater powers involved, because it´s such an incredibly strong source of… whatever you want to call it: power, liveliness, energy, spirituality... When you experience this source, you want to go back there, you want more and more - like an addictive drug.

E: But drugs are something negative. They destroy you. Music doesn´t destroy you.

S: I agree, but drugs can also heal you and people need more health... (laughing). By the way I think music can also destroy you: you can get so carried away that you lose the sense of reality, you don´t understand what´s real and what´s not anymore. This has happened with artists throughout history, but of course those are some very rare cases. Overall, I believe you need to be in a way “addicted”. Maybe I will talk differently in 20 years, but in my opinion now, you must be a little bit mad.

E: There are drugs that people need. Medicines. Some people need music to heal, because they are sick some way, and they need music. I am always thinking about humans that don´t have the posibility to make music, and they become sick. Music and also theater are therapeutic.

S: It´s therapy, yes, in a way you express, you explore some of your deepest thoughts and feelings and if you’re honest and sincere with it, your art will be personal. You explore yourself in many instances - you get sick in music, but with music you also heal. And when you’re in contact with this amazing source of power and even manage to share it with others, with the audience for example, then what more can you ask? You know, it´s not only you in this painting: you may share it with others as well. That also answers the previous question about the audience. This "sharing" is one of the most important meanings of art and it also makes you create art differently. This sharing is what creates the “Temple of Music-Making” or Art-Making.

E: Let´s go to the next question. You are still very young. But do you have a goal in your life? What would you like to achieve with your art in life? I think you already answered.

S: When I was younger, I didn’t think much about balance. In a way I am a maniac – when I get interested in something I often become obsessed - I dedicate myself fully, all cells of mine to this one thing. It could be a composition, a theater piece - I often get immersed in it so much that I sacrifice everything else... At the moment I still don’t believe it’s possible to create honest, high-quality art without 100% dedication, but with that being said, as I am getting older and I do want to find a balance between theater, music and my personal life.

E: This balance is a goal?

S: Yes. And I have to say, the older I get, the more important my personal life is to me - my family, my beloved ones… I want to somehow find the balance and not have to sacrifice too much. Sure, it’s naïve - usually there’s always some sort of sacrifice involved - but nobody stops me from at least trying. Art and life interfere a lot but in my opinion, there should still be a separate space for each one. Of course, you may say: art is life, sure, but I don’t believe it can always be like that. Before, my life used to be “all-art”, but now my views are different.

E: Let´s stay on the topic "life and music". In his autobioraphical book "Martin Eden", Jack London meets a musician and asks her: "what means music for you". And she answers "Music is my life" - he found this answer very disappointing, very let´s say "bourgois-like". Art and Life, Human beings like Jack London and Artists that think only about studies, diplomas, concert halls, careers... What is the connection for you between your music and your life?

S: That is a very difficult question.

E: I know. Answer spontaneously. Do you need some more wine?

S: I cannot answer it just simply... I answered in the previous question already, that personal life and creative life have to have their own space even though they are connected in many ways, but still, I think they should have their own rooms in your brain. But with that being said, your art gets inspired by your personal life and this is one of the ways they are connected. You cannot separate them fully, but you might go mad if you abandon one or the other, for example, if you make your whole life just art.

E: I think you will miss life. Ok, enough with philosophy. What are your next plans for this and the next year, concrete? Also your personal plans?

S: I will not say all of my creative plans because they will not come true (laughs), but I still continue an intense concert schedule, which I am happy about. Last year I played 70 concerts, which was the most ever in my life in a year and some of those concerts were also the biggest and most important of my life. This year it´s also going to a similar direction. I have upcoming performances in France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. I’m also writing a new piece. I was commissioned to write a new work and it should be premiered next year. I cannot say more about it, it’s part of my agreement.

E: And your personal life? Your parents, your girlfriend, your friends?

S: The plans are to keep and treasure what I have.

E: Do you have many friends?

S: Yes, but I am more of a private person. Even though I can be very social, I couldn’t say that I have a few friends whom I always tell everything, except my girlfriend and my family members. But what kind of friends do you mean?

E: For example you have an idea and you cannot do it alone. You remember that you have a lot of friends, you call them "come to take part in my plan"...

S: Yes, absolutely! These people are very important to me, those are the like-minded creative people with who we created an opera together, a theater-play, and many other creative projects.

E: Wonderful. Let´s go to the last two questions. Are you interested in politics? How do you see the world situation today? is it for an artist like you important to be involved in politics or it´s better for a musician to stay detouched in his music like a monk and leave the politics for others?

S: I think regardless if you’re involved in politics or not, people may still politicize you if they feel like it. But then again, if you play in a hall like a presidential palace and you have presidents of a certain country in the audience, how can people not perceive it as political? You know, people say "don´t mix art and politics": yes, but often it’s not in the artist’s power how their art will be perceived. Of course, as an artist you can make decisions: I think that you should take certain positions, because artists are still an important part of the society - look at some pop-artists – some people see them as Gods. They have so much influence and power and I do think that there is a responsibility for every artist to have their own backbone, their own spine and also be aware that art, if done right, may influence politics. And so, they should be aware that because of where they play, for whom, which repertoire or which country they represent, people will interpret it accordingly and put them in a certain drawer. It’s just how it is.

E: You know, 20 years ago, the world was not so divided as now and everybody was liking each other and there were no problems like that. We live in a very divided society, like west and east, men and women, left and right and other bla bla.... And an artist in this very divided society... how to explain it... If an artists wants to go to politics, he has to stop doing arts because the half of the society will hate him.

S: It might be true, but artists, apart from influencing, also have the power of bringing people together...

E: The singer who won the Eurovision contest said somethng against Israel. That destroyed perhaps his career, and he is just in the beginning because a lot of people stand with Israel. Half of the world is pro-Israel and the other half against. Perhaps the artist who wants to change with his music the world, better should not take position.

S: Maybe. But there’s a saying, that “one should observe artists only from a far” or “look at/listen to their art, but not what they’re saying” … Some artists may create amazing and genuine art, but up close are terrible people and others may be such incredible human beings, but their art just lacks something - probably there’s no formula…

E: Music transcends humans, no?

S: I think so, but still humans have a tendency to forcefully find or imagine connections that weren’t intended and just squeeze all the information that might fit their narrative, so I think you should be aware of this also when creating programs and keep in mind that people might react completely different than what you think.

E: So perhaps you can tell me how you create the dramaturgy of your concerts? And how you choose your repertoire?

S: There are many reasons and criteria that go into that, but first of all I try to recognize what kind of phase of my life I am in at that moment, what kind of artistic phase? Because usually I don’t really need to choose the pieces, usually they “choose themselves” - when you practice certain repertoire, it associates with another repertoire. Once you get tired of one kind of repertoire you want another and this comes in waves. Also, I choose pieces where I can express myself the most, where I am able to tell the most. Another important aspect is the location where I play: different locations have different audiences and different countries have preferences for different composers – some national pieces (of that country) may work very well, or pieces by composers of your home country - I always think about that. I also consider the technical aspects, like the instrument, the acoustics, the size of the hall and so on. For me it’s also important to plan my programs in a way that I don´t have completely different pieces on every single concert. This is also an important aspect: to recognize your capabilities and not overdo it, so that you still have some freshness, but you don’t need to sacrifice everything and scramble to just barely manage it. There’s also a thing with "fresh" music, with new repertoire: I found that in order to be inspired and sharp with my intuition, it really helps to have some new repertoire in the program among the older pieces. Of course, the older pieces may be safer, but somehow psychologically the new repertoire makes me focus not only on that new piece, but on the whole program and this way my mind stays sharp. And probably the most important for me is the overall dramaturgy of a program: how do pieces work together, maybe one piece prepares another very well, where are the most important dramatic moments, is it easy to follow and “digest”, does it work as a whole or should there be a brake? I always try to answer similar questions while putting a program together – it’s very important to me.

E: I would like to conclude with a spontaneous question i have not planned. You are the son of a painter and an actress. And you were talking during this interview a lot about pictures and scenes. I had the feeling that the spirit of your parents are part of you. Your father paints, and you see your art like a painting. Your mother was an actress...

S: She still is an actress...

E: Do you feel to have something from your parents?

S: I feel that I have everything from my parents, I owe everything to them. From how they raised me, to what I inherited from them - I owe so much to my parents. And even with all the hard work what I did, still I learned to do it from them. Even if they weren’t consciously teaching me, they were always themselves, showing a good example and as you know, children first look at their parents and copy what they’re doing, so I owe who I am to my parents.

E: Do you go and watch your parents while they are working?

S: Of course! As a child, I used to do it as much as I could... I used to always go to the theater to watch my mom act, and I would always go to my dad's exhibitions. I help him move the paintings we used to go to plain-airs. Also, when we’re at the sea, we would often go to the dunes - Lithuania has sand dunes in the Curonian Spit (Kuršių nerija). He would go into the dunes somewhere and I would walk alone to the beach, do my things and think my own thoughts and then, after three hours I would find him just by feeling where he could be, where he could have seen something nice to paint. I would look what he painted and we would immediately exchange opinions. I would tell him what I think, exactly like he would tell me, because I often play through for my parents, when I need to do a "Vorspielen".

E: Are they good critics?

S: They say exactly what they think. Of course, they are not professionals in classical piano but they are artistic, they say what they believe and I take that. Likewise, I go to every new play of my mom and we often talk about theater, music and our experiences. I always try to visit my dad´s exhibitions too. Recently, my dad opened an exhibition in Berlin, and when I traveled through Berlin, I went there. It was really special to find this piece of my family in the middle of Berlin. And we also help each other with organization: I organized an exhibition for my father in Kassel and then when we went to the closing of that exhibition, I organized a concert for me and my mother, because she is also a professional singer. They always go to my concerts when they can – my parents also came to Paris when I was playing this concert where the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda were present.

E: That means that your parents were supportive in your artistic path.

S: Of course, yes.

E: That´s amazing. But how did you came the music? Does anybody played a instrument? Ah, your mom was singing... there was a piano at home?

S: At first there was no piano at our home.

E: So how came the piano in your life.

S: I was an artistic kid and my parents decided to take me to the pre-school music program of the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts in Vilnius. When it was time to choose an instrument, my mother registered me for piano. There you go...

E: Thank you Simonas!