Osvaldas Balakauskas facts for kids
Osvaldas Jonas Balakauskas (born December 19, 1937, in Miliūnai) is a famous Lithuanian composer of classical music. He has also worked as a diplomat for his country.
Contents
A Life in Music and Diplomacy
Osvaldas Balakauskas finished his studies at Vilnius Pedagogical University in 1961. After serving in the Soviet Army from 1961 to 1964, he studied how to compose music. He learned from teachers like Boris Lyatoshinsky and Myroslav Skoryk at the Kiev Conservatory until 1969.
From 1992 to 1994, he was the ambassador for Lithuania in France, Spain, and Portugal. An ambassador is a special representative who works to build good relationships between countries. He lived in Paris during this time.
In 1996, Osvaldas Balakauskas received the Lithuanian National Award. This is the highest honor for artists and people in culture in Lithuania. Today, he leads the Composition Department at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He writes many types of music, including symphonies, concertos, and chamber music.
His Musical Creations
Osvaldas Balakauskas has created many important musical pieces. One of his well-known works is Sonata of the Mountains from 1975. This piece was inspired by the paintings of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a famous Lithuanian artist.
Other important works include his Symphony No. 2 (1979) and Opera Strumentale (1987). His Symphonies No. 4 (1998) and No. 5 (2001) were recorded by Naxos Records. Naxos is a company that records and releases classical music.
Selected Works
Music for the Stage
- Komunarų gatvė (Street of Communards), a short opera (1977)
- Zodiakas (Zodiac), a ballet for film (1984)
- Makbetas (Macbeth), a ballet (1988)
Orchestral Music
- Symphony No. 1 (1973)
- Symphony No. 2 (1979)
- Symphony No. 4 (1998)
- Symphony No. 5 (2001)
Concertos and Soloist Music
- Concertino for piano and string orchestra (1966)
- Kalnų sonata (Sonata of the Mountains) for piano and orchestra (1975)
- Concerto for oboe, harpsichord, and string orchestra (1981)
- Concerto Brio for violin and orchestra (1999)
Chamber Music
- Sonatas for violin and piano (1969)
- Medis ir paukštė (The Tree and the Bird) for viola and piano (1976)
- Lietus Krokuvai (Rain for Cracow) for violin and piano (1991)
- Trio concertante for flute, viola, and piano (2008)
Choral Music
- Requiem in memoriam Stasys Lozoraitis (1995)
See also
In Spanish: Osvaldas Balakauskas para niños
