Giedrius Kuprevičius

Giedrius Antanas Kuprevičius (born April 8, 1944, Kaunas, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian composer and music educator.

After finishing children's music school, in 1958–62 he studied composition at J.Gruodis Higher music school (present Conservatoire). In 1962–68 he studied at Vilnius, Lithuanian State Conservatoire (present Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy) where he graduated from composition class of prof. Ed. Balsys and was conferred qualification of a composer and lecturer of special theoretical subjects of music.

He started teaching in 1966. He worked at J.Gruodis Higher music school, lectured at facultative modules of music at Kaunas Academy of Medicine, University of Agriculture, Kaunas Institute of Polytechnics (present Kaunas University of Technology), gave lectures to actors' course at Vilnius University and lectures of musical improvisation at Kaunas faculties of Music Academy, given lectures to the public at Kaunas Public library (a series of 200 lectures Musical Wednesdays).

Giedrius Kuprevičius was a chief of Lithuanian Composers' Unity for eleven years and was appointed as an editor-in- chief of Music department of Lithuanian Television. He worked as the Ministry of Culture, Vice-minister and Chairman of the Culture Affairs board, and Vice-mayor of the Kaunas municipality. From 1990 to 1999, he gave lectures to the faculty of Arts at Vytautas Magnus University. He was appointed Dean of Faculty of Humanities of KTU on January 1, 2000. The book Music in Theater has been handed for printing. Series of lectures of Introduction to Music are being finished for publishing. Other lectures given or being given are as follows: Music aesthetics, Music philosophy, Mystics in music, History of European music, History of Lithuanian music, Art and civilization. Giedrius Kuprevičius works with some music programming and new technologies in the art field.

Since 1957 Giedrius Kuprevičius regularly plays on Kaunas carillons (a set of 49 chromatically tuned bells). Concerts in New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Denmark. At present he is a senior carillonist of Kaunas city.

Giedrius Kuprevičius managed the band of electronic music ARGO of Kaunas Music Theatre.

Giedrius Kuprevičius have constantly been co-working with Lithuanian media, writing articles on musical publicists and culturology issues in such journals as Muzikos barai, Santara, Humanistica, Nemunas and Kauno diena since 1968. He has published two essay books - Backward years and It was said. He conducted Lithuanian National TV programs Contrapunctus for a long run. He give concerts in Lithuania and abroad constantly, take part at music festivals, congresses and symposiums. Giedrius Kuprevičius have been a Master-class director at international forums of youth music. At moment he present the bachelor program Music technology in Kaunas University of Technology.

As a member of Lithuanian Composers' union and Lithuanian Musicians' union, he contributed to many works. Hunt of Mammoths – music for Kazys Saja play, staged at Kaunas Drama Theatre by Jonas Jurašas (1968); Pagan Cantos for the choir; Eight Lithuanian Folk Songs for the string quartet (1969); Herkus Mantas – music for the film produced by Marijonas Giedrys; Devynbėdžiai – musical (K. Saja play, staged at Panevėžys Drama theater by Juozas Blėdis, 1972). Fire Hunt with Beaters – musical (L. Jacinevičius and S. Šaltenis play staged by Dalia Tamulevičiūtė at The Youth Theater), later the opening performances of this musical where held in the theaters of Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia. There, Inside – one-act opera after the Maurice Maeterlinck's play of the same title, staged in Kaunas at The Youth music studio by Stanislovas Rubinovas (1976). I Send You Best Regards – musical after Violeta Palčinskaitė play staged at Kaunas Music Theater by Gintas Žilys (1986). Missa Catacumbae – for choir, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, violin and violoncello (1994); The Prussians – opera after J. Grusas's drama play Herkus Mantas, staged at Klaipėda Music Theater by Nerijus Petrokas, conducted by Stasys Domarkas (1995). The Child of the open Sea – a ballet after Jules Superviel short story (1996). World Creation for the End of XX Century – audiovisual oratorio for the choir, saxophone, synthesator and Egidijus Vaškevičius computer animation. Songs of Perpetual Wanderer – vocal symphony (R. Tagore's poetry) (1998); Queen Bona – opera (1999–2001), Sinfonia Barocco for chamber orchestra, devoted for Pažaislis festival (1999); Te Deum – concert for trombone and orchestra (2000), Seven Questions and Lamento of David – liturgian drama for violina solo and choir (2001), lob - opera (2002), Kipras and Fiodoras – operetta (2003), DaliGala – opera-zarzuela (2004), Adagio Apokalypsis for 2 violini, cello and piano (2004), Birds are Jazz are Birds – for carillon, soprano and acoustic sounds (2004), Melancholic Songs for soprano and symphony orchestra (2004) etc.

Currently, Kuprevičius is a professor. His wife, Gražina, is an artist. Their children include a daughter Ieva, a son-in-law Andrius (an artist), and grandsons Marius and Ugnius.

He is editor-in-chief of the "Lithuanian Carillon" website, the official website of Lithuanian Carillonist Guild and the founder of KTU radio Gaudeamus.

In 2003, he was awarded with Officer's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.