The town of Rokiskis, located approximately 160 km North-East of Vilnius near the Latvian border, has been enthusiastically organizing an International Organ Festival in beautiful premises of a neo-Gothic Church of St. Matthew for 20 years, featuring top international musicians, including Czech performers. This year, a Czech flute player Monika Štreitová with a Slovak organist Marek Vrabel performed at the opening concert with the selection of Baroque works, complemented with an excellent adaptation of Suite antique for flute and organ by a contemporary British composer John Rutter (arr. M. Vrabel). The concert culminated in a grand symphony-orchestral style of an impressive toccata from the Fifth Organ Symphony by Charles-Marie Widor.

At the concert, a Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Czech Republic Tomáš Vostrý expressed big thanks to the city of Rokishkis for a long-term support of the festival and a special care of the legacy of Rudolf Liehmann: “I see an organ in the coat of arms of Rokiskis as a sign of respect of the city for its rich cultural and musical tradition, which is now materialised by this festival.” The Mayor of Rokiskis expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for the support, which enabled this year´s participation of Czech artists. After the concert, the representatives of Rokiskis and the Embassy laid a wreath on the grave of Rudolf Leihmann.