Sponsoring the International Festival Operetta at Kaunas Castle 2024 and Strengthening Ties with Lithuania

07/25/2024　Corporate Activities, Digital Printing

Roland DG, in collaboration with our local joint venture DG DIMENSE, sponsored the XXIII International Festival Operetta at Kaunas Castle 2024 held in Kaunas, Lithuania on July 5 and 6, 2024. The music festival, set in the beautiful outdoor venue of Kaunas Castle, attracted around 10,000 attendees over the two days, who enjoyed Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (photo above, taken by Teodoras Biliūnas) and a gala concert of famous Italian opera pieces.
Details of the festival and sponsorship

Japanese Cast Shines in Madame Butterfly

The festival provided a valuable opportunity for cultural exchange between Japan and Lithuania. On the first day, July 5, a special stage was set up with the soloists (vocalists) and orchestra placed side by side outdoors. Under the baton of Hirofumi Yoshida, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, set in Nagasaki, was performed.

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  Performing Madame Butterfly on the outdoor stage

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  Maestro Hirofumi Yoshida conducting with passion (photo by Teodoras Biliūnas)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death and the 120th anniversary of the premiere of Madame Butterfly. Driven by Maestro Yoshida’s passion to deliver the best opera to the Kaunas audience, auditions were held in Italy and Japan, and four Japanese soloists, including Junko Ueda as the lead, were selected for key roles. The audience was moved to tears by the performers’ compelling acting, the KVMT symphony orchestra’s performance, and the KVMT choir’s chorus.

After the opera, Tetsu Ozaki, Ambassador from the Embassy of Japan in Lithuania, Hirofumi Yoshida, the Japanese soloists, and Roland DG President Tanabe deepened their friendship.

Interview with Maestro Hirofumi Yoshida about his thoughts on the performance

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  Junko Ueda and Japanese cast shine in Madame Butterfly (photo by Teodoras Biliūnas)

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  Post-performance interaction. Front row from left: soloists Junko Ueda, Mae Hayashi / back row from left: soloist Masashi Tomosugi, Hirofumi Yoshida, Roland DG President Tanabe, Ambassador Tetsu Ozaki, soloist Tsukasa Ide

Celebrating Statehood Day at a Gala Concert

On July 6, the second day of the festival, the Gala Concert “An Evening of Italian Music” was presented, featuring famous pieces from Italian operas such as Puccini’s. 24 performers, including the four Japanese soloists from the previous day, delivered an outstanding performance under the direction of six conductors. Being that it was Lithuania’s Statehood Day and a Saturday, the audience was larger than on the first day. At 9 PM, the national anthem was sung to celebrate Statehood Day, creating a spectacular scene as performers and participants united.

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  The grand gala concert featured 24 soloists and the orchestra.

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  Performers and audience united during the national anthem (photo by Teodoras Biliūnas).

Lithuania has three national holidays related to its founding and independence. The only related summer holiday is the Statehood Day on July 6. In Lithuania, which has long winters, this day is very important as it is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate outdoors. Various cultural events are held across the country. In the capital Vilnius, where DG DIMENSE is based, numerous events took place this week, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the city.

Enjoying the Best Music on Summer Nights

Located at a high latitude, Lithuania’s sunsets in early July occur around 10 PM, so the nights remain light for long periods. The festival was blessed with clear weather on both days, starting at 8 PM while it was still bright and ending around 10 PM near sunset. Opera fans from across Europe as well as local residents relaxed on the lawn and enjoyed the music.

Kaunas, where the festival was held, is about 100 km from the capital Vilnius and is Lithuania’s second-largest city. The music festival at Kaunas Castle has been held 23 times, becoming a cherished tradition for the local community.

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  People relaxed on the lawn while enjoying the performances.

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  Fireworks lit up the finale of the two-day festival (photo by Teodoras Biliūnas).

Fostering Friendship with Lithuania through DG DIMENSE

Since establishing DG DIMENSE last year, Roland DG has been committed to promoting cultural exchange and building friendships with Lithuania. Our sponsorship of this music festival is part of this effort. We aimed not only to support the festival but also to create an opportunity for Lithuanians to feel closer to and learn about Japan. To achieve this, we provided original merchandise featuring designs inspired by Madame Butterfly and printed with our inkjet printers.

On the first day of the festival, July 5, when Madame Butterfly was performed, we and DG DIMENSE set up a joint booth at the venue, selling original merchandise. Answering the call from the Embassy of Japan in Lithuania, five volunteer staff including Japanese students studying locally, volunteered to help with sales. All proceeds from the sales will be donated through DG DIMENSE to support activities for children with cancer in Lithuania. Detailed activities at the booth will be introduced in a future blog post.

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  Selling merchandise at the booth with the help of local student volunteers

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  Original merchandise featuring the Madame Butterfly design

We will continue our efforts to foster friendly relations between our two countries. We hope to share more about Lithuania with our readers through our blog and other channels.

Lastly, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported us and visited our booth.