Osvaldas Balakauskas is one of the leaders of the modern school of Lithuanian composition. His symphonies are among his most important, inventive and refined works, skilfully combining the colours of different orchestral groups, while emphasizing the individuality and sound of solo instruments. Symphony No. 4 includes elements of early and modern music, as well as the syncopated rhythms of jazz. The four movements of Symphony No. 5 are linked by a common musical theme, and are full of colour, energy, and big-band-like outbursts. Balakauskas’ 1995 Requiem is available on Naxos 8.557604.