Vytautas Miškinis

Vytautas Miškinis (b.1954), a choir conductor, educator and composer, studied choral conducting under Hermanas Perelšteinas at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire in 1971-76. While still a student, he worked with "Ąžuoliukas" boys' choir in a capacity of an accompanist and a conductor. In 1975-79 he served as a conductor with the Kaunas State Choir, and in 1979-85 - as a director of the Vilnius music school "Ąžuoliukas". Since 1979, he has been the artistic director of "Ąžuoliukas" boys' choir, and also led the men's choir of Vilnius Teachers' House. Since 1991, he has been an artistic director of Vilnius vocal ensemble "Museum musicum". Vytautas Miškinis has joined the Choral Conducting Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music in 1985, becoming an associate professor in 1995 and a professor in 2002.

Since 1980, Vytautas Miškinis has conducted choirs in the national song festivals and choral assemblies. He was the chief conductor of the Lithuanian National Song Festival (1990) and of the first (1994) and the second (1998) World Lithuanians' Song Festivals in Lithuania, as well as the artistic director and chief conductor of the Little Art Festival of Youth in Vilnius (1993), the conductor of the Youth Art Festival in Vilnius (1996) and the artistic director and chief conductor of the Lithuanian Pupils' Song Festival (1997).

Vytautas Miškinis has chaired juries of many children choir competitions, and also has been a jury member of numerous international choir competitions in Lithuania, Latvia and Germany, a member of the composition evaluation committees in Lithuania and abroad. He has written over 50 musical articles and choral concert reviews, and compiled series of song books "Ąžuoliukas". He has presented lectures on musical education of children in Lithuania at the international seminars in Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Sweden, the USA, South Korea, and Belgium, led master classes in Denmark, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Belgium, Japan, and Germany, as a honorary guest participated in the international symposia of choir associations in Slovenia and Austria.

Since 1995, he has served as a president of the Lithuanian Choral Union (re-elected in 1998), since 2000 - as a consultant of "Europa Cantat" (European Youth Choir Federation) music committee, since 2002 - as a honorary member of ACDA (The American Choral Directors Association), since 2002 - as a member of IFCM (International Federation for Choral Music) youth music committee, and since 2004 - as a board member of "Choi Olympies".

In 1983 he received the Culture Distinction Award, and in 1985 was granted the honorary title of Distinguished Artist. In 2002 he was nominated the Composer of the Year (the most frequently performed composer abroad).

Under the direction of Vytautas Miškinis the "Ąžuoliukas" boys' choir has greatly contributed to the promotion of Lithuanian choral music in Lithuania and abroad. Vytautas Miškinis has led "Ąžuoliukas" choir on tours in Europe, the USA, also has directed the men's choir in numerous international competitions and festivals earning prizes. Under his direction "Ąžuoliukas" choir has made over a hundred recordings for the Lithuanian Radio as well as radio stations abroad, participated in TV shows, films and musical plays, recorded 35 LP's and 12 CD's.

As a composer Vytautas Miškinis is very popular in Lithuania and abroad. He has written over 400 secular and about 150 religious works, and over 100 folk song arrangements for various ensembles. As a result of many years of work with "Ąžuoliukas" choir, songs for children constitute a large part of his oeuvre. Being open to the tendencies of the day, the composer also pays great attention to the age and the abilities of the singer. His works display close connection between music and text. His religious music is mostly based on Latin texts. Texture of his works is melodic-harmonic, with elements of polyphony, aleatoric and sonoristic effects.

Since 1993 Vytautas Miškinis' music has gained a permanent position in the repertoire of all song festivals in Lithuania, such as Pupils', World Lithuanians', Students' ("Gaudeamus"), and "We Are the Children of Lithuania". Many of his compositions have been awarded prizes in national competitions, and were chosen as obligatory works in international choral conducting competitions in Italy, Austria, Argentina, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania.