Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla facts for kids
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla is a famous conductor from Lithuania. She was born on August 29, 1986, in Vilnius. She used to be the music director for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO).
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About Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla
Her Early Life and Learning
Mirga grew up in a very musical family in Vilnius, Lithuania. Her dad, Romualdas Gražinis, leads a choir. Her mom, Sigutė Gražinienė, plays piano and sings. Her grandmother was a violinist, and other family members were also musicians. Mirga is the oldest of three children. Her sister, Onutė Gražinytė, is a pianist.
When she was young, Mirga first studied French and painting. She went to the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Vilnius. At age 11, she decided she wanted to study music. The only music class available was choral conducting. This meant she learned to lead music without playing an instrument herself! She first conducted a choir when she was 13.
Mirga later studied conducting at several music schools. These included the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig. She also studied at the Zurich University of the Arts. Mirga added the word 'Tyla' to her name, which means 'silence' in Lithuanian.
Her Career as a Conductor
Mirga started her professional career in Germany. She became a conductor at the Theater & Orchester Heidelberg in 2011. In 2012, she won a special competition for young conductors in Salzburg. She then became a lead conductor at the Bern Opera in 2013. From 2015 to 2017, she was the music director of the Salzburger Landestheater.
In the United States, Mirga worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She was an assistant conductor there from 2014 to 2016. She then became an associate conductor until 2017.
In July 2015, Mirga first conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). The orchestra was very impressed. In February 2016, they chose her to be their next music director. She started this important role in September 2016. She was the first woman to be named music director of the CBSO!
Mirga conducted her first concert as CBSO music director on August 26, 2016. The next day, she performed at The Proms, a famous music festival. Her contract with the CBSO was extended until the 2020–2021 season. In January 2021, the CBSO announced that she would finish her time as music director after the 2021–2022 season. After that, she became the principal guest conductor for the CBSO.
In February 2019, Mirga signed a special recording deal with Deutsche Grammophon. She was the first female conductor to have an exclusive contract with this famous record label. Her first album with them featured music by Mieczysław Weinberg. This album won the 'Album of the Year' prize at the Gramophone Awards in October 2020. She has also recorded music by other composers like Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Her Family Life
Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla is a mother of three children. She has two sons, born in August 2018 and August 2020, and one daughter. Her partner is also a musician. The family lives in Salzburg, Austria.
See also
In Spanish: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla para niños
