© Vita Vaitkienė, NVF | All rights reserved Short Biography Balys Vaitkus was born in 1963. He is one of the best-known  Lithuanian organists today. He graduated Cum Laude from the  Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre after studying piano  with Prof. M.Azizbekova and organ with Prof. L.Digrys, in 1985.  Later he had post-graduate studies at the Prague Academy of Fine  Arts (Czech Republic, 1988-1989). In 1994 he gained a Concert  Diploma with Prof. M.Haselböck at the Lübeck Music University  (Germany). Besides he also attended numerous organ courses such  as Haarlem Summer Academy, master courses with G.Bovet,  M.Radulescu, P.Kee, L.F.Tagliavini, etc. Additionally, he studied  Baroque Harpsichord with Prof. G.Lukšaitė-Mrázková in Prague  (2007-2008).  B.Vaitkus had successfully participated at the international  competitions for pianists and organists. He won the 2nd prize as a  pianist at the International Piano Competition in Riga (1984), as an  organist he won the Special prize for the best performance of Czech  music at the IOC “Prague Spring” (Czech Republic) in 1989, the 3rd  prize and the Audience prize at the Gelsenkirchen International  Organ Competition (Germany) in 1993, and the 2nd prize and the  Special prize for the best performance of Lithuanian music at the  “M.K.Čiurlionis” International Organ Competition (Vilnius,  Lithuania) in 1995. B.Vaitkus started his concert activities in 1983 and gave organ  recitals in most European countries. He gave concerts at the famous  music festivals, such as “Rencontres Musicales de Nantes” in France,  “Wiener Festwochen” in Austria, Riga Organ Festival, Tallinn Organ  Festival, Max Reger Festival and “Dresdner Orgelzyklus” in  Germany, etc. His repertoire spreads from the pieces of composers  before J.S.Bach up to contemporary music such as organ pieces of  A.Schoenberg, O.Messiaen, modern Lithuanian composers.  Also B.Vaitkus worked together with the other soloists, ensembles  and choirs. He played Organ Concertos with the National  Philharmonic and State Symphonic Orchestras, Lithuanian Chamber  Orchestra, and with the “Neue Westfalische Philharmonie” in  Germany. During the last years he often joins the ensemble “Musica  Humana” as a solo-cembalist. B.Vaitkus is cooperating with the  famous musicians such as flutists A.Vizgirda (Lithuania) and  W.Bennett (Great Britain), trumpeter L.Candelaria (USA), etc.  B.Vaitkus has been working at the Lithuanian Academy of Music  and Theatre since 1989. Besides, since 2002 he’s the initiator and  artistic director of the international music festival “Organ Summer”,  the international master classes “Organ Summer Academy”, and of  the National “Jonas Žukas” Organ Competition for Youth. Since  2011, B.Vaitkus is the organists and harpsichordist at the Lithuanian  National Philharmonic Society. B.Vaitkus had made several broadcast recordings and CD’s in Lithuania and a CD recording on the organ  of Vilnius’ Cathedral for ERES Edition (Germany). His very last CD recording “Lithuanian Historical  Organs” has been released in 2008.  Contacts  • Address: Žirmūnų Str. 98-61, LT-09122 Vilnius • Private phone: (370-5) 2761314 • Mobile: (370-611) 60151 • E-mail: balys.vaitkus@gmail.com CD Lithuanian Historical Organs. Balys Vaitkus, organ (2008)