Jonas Žukas - creator of French organ school in Interwar Lithuania

ENThe Lithuanian organ concert traditions, which started developing at the end of the second decade of the 20th century, developed the worldview of the members of the church community, trained them for the professional art. At the end of the fourth decade of the 20th century, Lithuanian organ art had almost reached the European level - while concert repertoire of organists was rapidly developing, complex concert programmes consisted of organ music masterpieces of all époques by German, French and Italian composers. This period reflecting a particularly obvious rise in Lithuanian organ art was related to organists returning from their studies in France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany. Romantic, Neo-romantic and Impressionistic organ literature by German, English composers was performed in churches by Jonas Žukas (1907-2004). Žukas followed his teacher Marcel Dupré's (1886-1971) pedagogical principles that were based on the foundations of improvisation and the approach of free thought. Interpretational organ principles that dominated in the first half of the 20th century are reflected in Marcel Dupré's school. Žukas paid special attention to organ fingering leaving registering to every organistís individual taste. Žukas, who became a student and follower of Marcel Dupré and an establisher of the French organ school in Lithuania, realized his first teacher Juozas Naujalis' goal, i.e. his studentsí interest in French organ playing traditions, in French organ literature and interpretation.