Osvaldas Balakauskas
OSVALDAS BALAKAUSKAS (1937, Miliunai, Lithuania) trained in the Music Faculty of the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute (1957–1961), and, later, studied composition with Boris Lyatoshinsky at the Kiev Conservatoire (1964–1969). Until 1972 he was active as an editor for the music publisher “Ukraina” in Kiev but some years later he returned to Vilnius, where he was engaged as an art counsellor for the composers association. Since 1988 he is the leader of the composition class at the conservatory of Vilnius. From 1992 to 1994 he was Lithuanian ambassador – the first after 50 years of foreign rule - to France, Spain and Portugal (residing in Paris). At the present time he is Head of the Composition Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music. In 1996 Balakauskas was honoured with the Lithuanian National Prize, in 1998 with the Order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas (3rd level). Osvaldas Balakauskas came in touch with serial music through Kiev avangardists like Valentin Silvestrov and Leonid Hrabovsky in Lithuania – also under the influence of the painter-composer Ciurlionis – he strained for a style with short and precised elements but also proved himself with Passio strumentale and Opera strumentale, where he combines traditional forms as motets and strict contrapunctal structures with the influences of jazz. His music is regularly performed at various festivals in Lithuania and abroad (Warsaw Autumn, Berliner Festwochen, Prague Spring, World Music Days in Warsaw).
Works (selection): 5 symphonies (1973, 1979, 1989, 1898, 2001), 3 string quartets (1971, 1971, 1998), Dance Suite for strings (1964), Impresonata for flute and piano (1964), Dance Suite for violin and piano (1965), Extrema for ensemble (1966), Concertino for piano and strings (1966), Quartetto concertante for flute, violin, violoncello and piano (1970), Studi sonori for 2 pianos (1972), Retrospective-1 for violoncello and piano (1974), Fugue for violoncello and piano (1974), Nine Springs for oboe and harpsichord (various versions, 1974), Like the Touch of a Sea Wave for violin and piano (1975), Sonata of the Mountains for piano and strings (1975), Heterophony for (elec)violoncello and tape (1979), Concerto for oboe and strings (1981), Do nata for viola (violoncello) and tape (1982), Opera strumentale for ensemble (1987), Alla Turca Once More for 2 pianos (8 hands, 1987), Macbeth – ballet for tape (1988), Veda-Seka-Budi for 5 percusions (1990), Rain for Cracow for violin and piano (harpsichord, 1991), Polylogue for altsaxophone and strings (1991), Meridionale – hommage à Witold Lutosławski for chamber orchestra (1994), Maggiore-Minore for altsaxophone and piano (1994), Bop-art for piano and tape (1995), Requiem in Memoriam Stasys Lozoraitis (1995), Concerto RK for ensemble (1997), Concerto brio for violin and orchestra (1999), La lointaine – chamber opera (2002), Concerto Heses-dur for jazz vocal and ensemble (2002), Do nata II for accordion and tape (2003), Capriccio for piano and orchestra (2004).