Vytautas Juozapaitis

Vytautas Juozapaitis (born 14 December 1963 in Radviliskis, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian singer (baritone), recipient of Lithuanian National Prize, a soloist of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and Kaunas State Musical Theatre, a professor of Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and a docent of Vilnius College of Higher Education, and a television personality. He has performed in many international venues and is considered the most famous contemporary Lithuanian baritone.
Biography.
After graduating Lithuanian Academy of Music (class of prof. V. Prudnikovas) in 1989, V. Juozapaitis debuted in the role of Freddie in "My Fair Lady" and soon moved on to prominence, becoming one of the leading opera soloists of Lithuania.
A soloist at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (since 1990) and Kaunas State Musical Theatre (since 1989). Also collaborates with Klaipėda State Musical Theatre and appears in other subsidiary projects.
In 1992 and 1993, he studied at the European Center for Opera and Voice (ECOV) in Belgium, then with Marlene Malas in New York City, United States and baritone Tom Krause in Finland. He sang in "Don Giovanni" at the Czech National Opera Theatre in Prague, and toured with his company in Japan during 1994 and 1995, as well with company "Teatro Lirico D'Europa" in USA, 2003. In 2005 worked in the Barcelona Gran Teatre del Liceu (Spain) as the opera manager.
In addition to working as a performer, prof. Juozapaitis has been teaching vocal performance since 1996 at his alma mater, now Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, from 2006 – also in Vilnius College of Higher Education. Among his graduate students are some prominent Lithuanian opera singers like tenor Edmundas Seilius or baritone Dainius Stumbras. In 2009, Juozapaitis opened his personal educational centre of culture and art "Vytauto Juozapaičio kultūros ir meno centras".
He continues to perform in Lithuania and abroad: he has toured in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, India, Nepal, Norway, Poland, United States, Spain, Russia, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Finland or Canada. He participated in many Lithuanian and foreign music festivals such as Savonlinna Opera (Finland), „Classic Openair Solothurn“ (Switzerland), Beijing international music festival (China), Salzburger Festspiele (Austria), Wrozlaw Oratory Music (Poland), Symposium-Festival of French Composers of Contemporary Music Montpelior or F. Schubert – J. Haydn festivals, and cooperated with all Lithuanian and famous foreign conductors: Mstislav Rostropovich, Justus Franz, Pinchas Steinberg, Eduard Müller, David Agler, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Krzysztof Penderecki, and many others; directors – Anthony Minghella, Chen Shi-Zheng, Emilio Sagi, Francesca Zambello, Monika Wiesler, Silviu Purcarete, Jurij Aleksandrov, Jonas Jurašas, Gintaras Varnas, Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, Raimundas Banionis, Gintas Žilys and others.
V. Juozapaitis took first prize at the 1980 competition "Dainų dainelė". In 1992 won the 1st Competition of Lithuanian Vocalists. In 1993, he was awarded a diploma at the International Luciano Pavarotti Vocal Competition in Philadelphia (where the chairman was Pavarotti himself). Later he won all the major prizes of Lithuanian theatre scene, including 3 Opera soloist of the Year awards, 2 "Public's Favorite", "Kipras", "Kristoforas", "Auksinis scenos kryžius" (The Golden Cross of Scene) or the Officer's Cross of the Order "For the Merits to Lithuania". In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts in 2003.
Maestro Juozapaitis is also a well-known television personality: a TV host (show of classical music – "Tegyvuoja klasika!" – "Long live the classics!"), a chairman of judges in 2 music competition shows – "Žvaigzdžių duetai" (analogue to "Celebrity Duets") and "Triumfo arka" ("Triumphal arch", a contest of opera singers), also one of its formers, on 2 major Lithuanian TV channels LTV and LNK. He has also released 3 successful solo CDs.
Married for the second time in 1988, has 3 daughters – Vaiva, Vaida (adopted daughter from wife's first marriage) and Ieva.
Roles.
Lithuanian composers has written some roles specifically for V. Juozapaitis: Count Shemeta – in Broniaus Kutavičiaus opera "Lokys", King Mindaugas – in Broniaus Kutavičiaus opera "Ugnis ir tikėjimas", Žilvinas – in Audronė Žigaitytė opera "Žilvinas ir Eglė" and Žygimantas Augustas – in Giedrius Kuprevičius opera "Karalienė Bona".
V. Juozapaitis' repertoire includes almost 50 major baritone roles in operas, operettas and musicals. Most famous of them:
V. Juozapaitis also has sung in many oratories including "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff, "Ein deutsches Requiem" by Brahms, "Stabat Mater" by Franz Schubert, "Era di Aguarius" by Sofia Gubaidulina or "War Requiem" by Benjamin Britten.