Gintaras Januševičius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gintaras Januševičius
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Gintaras Januševičius in 2014
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| Born | 16 January 1985 Moscow, Soviet Union
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| Citizenship | Lithuanian |
| Years active | 1999–present |
Gintaras Januševičius (born on January 16, 1985) is a talented Lithuanian pianist. He is also a music teacher, someone who organizes events, a radio host, and a philanthropist (meaning he helps others by giving money or time).
He is well-known for his special way of playing music and telling stories through his performances. He is especially good at playing music by famous composers like Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Beethoven, and Shostakovich. He also plays many pieces by Lithuanian composers, some of which were written just for him!
Contents
About Gintaras Januševičius
Early Life and Education
Gintaras Januševičius was born in Moscow. His father, Algirdas Januševičius, was a trumpeter from Lithuania. His mother, Nailia Galiamova, was a composer with Tatar and Jewish roots.
In 1987, when Gintaras was two years old, his family moved to Klaipėda, a city in Lithuania. He started learning music at age four at the Eduardas Balsys School of Arts in Klaipėda.
In 1993, his family moved again, this time to Vilnius, the capital city. His father became the main trumpeter for the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. Gintaras then joined the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art.
He first learned piano from Valentina Potejenko in Klaipėda. Later, he studied with Valė Kulikauskienė and Jurgis Bialobžeskis at the M.K. Čiurlionis School. After finishing school in 2003, Gintaras went to the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Drama. He continued to study with Jurgis Bialobžeskis there.
In 2004, he moved to Hanover, Germany, to study with Professor Vladimir Krainev. After Krainev passed away in 2011, Gintaras joined the piano class of Professor Bernd Goetzke at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
Since 2001, Gintaras has also learned from many other famous pianists. These include Lazar Berman and his wife Valentina, Naum Shtarkman, and Malcolm Bilson.
Amazing Performances
Gintaras Januševičius played with an orchestra for the first time when he was 15 years old. He performed a piece called Capriccio Brillante by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra.
In the same month, he played Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.
He became very well-known in May 2004. This was after his performance at the semi-finals of the Montreal International Musical Competition. Many famous pianists praised his playing of Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux Op. 39.
A music critic named Christophe Huss wrote that Gintaras's performances were "rare revelations." He said Gintaras played with the "simplicity of the master and the vitality of the young man he is."
So far, Gintaras Januševičius has played with over 30 orchestras. These include the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in famous concert halls around the world. Some of these are the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona and the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid.
He has also given solo concerts in many cities. These include New York City, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Paris. He has been part of major music festivals, such as The International Chopin Piano Festival.
Since 2013, Gintaras has focused on "narrative piano solo recitals." This means he combines music with storytelling and even theater elements in his shows. Some of his popular programs include "Dreamcatcher" (2014) and "The New Colossus" (2019). These shows have been loved by audiences and critics in cities like New York and Berlin.
What Music He Plays
Gintaras Januševičius is an expert on Rachmaninoff. He has played all of Rachmaninoff's solo piano pieces.
He also often plays other famous works. These include Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky and Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118 by Brahms. He plays Dante Sonata by Liszt and "Waldstein" and "Moonlight" sonatas by Beethoven.
He performs Preludes, Op.34 by Shostakovich. He also plays all of Chopin's Scherzi, Ballades, and Waltzes. He even has his own version of Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin.
Gintaras has played piano concertos by many composers. These include Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Ravel, and Martinu. He also works with modern composers like Jörg Widmann and Victoria Poleva.
Music Recordings
Gintaras Januševičius does not usually release his solo performances on audio CDs. He believes that his performances are special because of his storytelling and timing. He feels that without these, the music loses some of its unique artistic quality.
You can find many of his live performances on his own website and on his YouTube channel.
He has released one CD called "Window to Lithuania." On this CD, he plays with violinist Dalia Dėdinskaitė and cellist Gleb Pyšniak. It features rare piano trio pieces by Lithuanian composers like Čiurlionis and Dvarionas.
His performance of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky is also on a double CD from 2007.
Teaching Music
Since 2009, Gintaras Januševičius has taught special piano classes called master classes. He has taught in many countries, including Japan, China, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Since 2017, he has been the artistic director and piano professor at two places. One is the "Feuerwerk" piano academy in Einbeck. The other is the "Klaipėda Piano Masters" summer festival in Klaipėda.
In 2020, he joined the teaching staff at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. He also teaches very talented students in his own private piano studio in Hanover.
Personal Life
Gintaras Januševičius lives in Hanover, Germany, with his wife, Brigita. They got married in August 2015. In January 2021, they had their first son, Vincent. In December 2022, their daughter Gabriele was born.
Since September 2021, Gintaras has also been a co-host for a radio show. It's called "Bazinis Akordas" and is on the classical music channel of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television, called LRT Klasika.
See also
In Spanish: Gintaras Januševičius para niños
