Maknickas Family Duo Awes Campus

Last Friday night, the Fritz B. Burns Auditorium on the California campus rang with beautiful music. For the first concert in the year’s St. Vincent de Paul Lecture and Concert Series, students and faculty were in for a treat: Lithuania’s Ignas Maknickas and Greta Maknickaitė — siblings to junior Justas (’24) — performed a selection of classical pieces on the piano and violin, respectively, including works of Bach, Brahms, Schubert, and Chopin.

The Maknickas siblings have performed annually for seven years at the Palace for the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Greta is attending the Royal Academy of Music, where Ignas earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Having since received a Queen’s Commendation for Excellence, he is now pursuing a master’s. The two have won several awards for their performances.

After an introduction from Dean John J. Goyette, Ignas thanked the College for inviting him and his sister to perform in St. Cecilia’s Hall and stay on campus. “Thank you so much,” he began. “We are really honored.” He went on to dedicate the night to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II in the wake of her passing. “We are deeply saddened by her death … and I would like to humbly dedicate my first piece of this concert for Her Majesty.”

With that, the concert commenced, and Ignas performed his solo pieces, then a duet with Greta, after which Greta performed her own pieces. The audience was rapt as the siblings brought their instruments to life. Thunderous applause rang out in between each piece, and the duo was met with a standing ovation after the main performance and a moving encore.

The night then wound to a close, and the audience dispersed, many students marveling at what they had just heard. “It was enlightening to see how high-level musicians can put us in a trance with their music,” observed Jason King (’26). In a word, it was beautiful.