All about the viola | Dovilė Juozapaitienė and Jurgis Juozapaitis

A viola duo is not a common phenomenon in the music world. Therefore, the program prepared by Dovilė Juozapaitienė and Jurgis Juozapaitis is unique, as the pieces to be performed are rarely played not only in Lithuania, but also worldwide!

Here are a few intriguing moments from this concert: we will hear G. Knox’s piece Viola Spaces, which showcases the full range of viola playing techniques and sound possibilities, as well as other works that reveal the viola from the most unexpected angles. We will also hear Antanas Rekašius’ Groteskas, dedicated to the famous Lithuanian violists Petras Radzevičius and Donatas Katkus – apart from these musicians and the Juozapaičiai duo, no one else has ever performed this piece!

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About the performers:

Dovilė Juozapaitienė is the concertmaster of the viola section of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the Kaunas String Quartet from 2004 to 2008. As a soloist and member of chamber ensembles, she has given concerts in concert halls in Lithuania and abroad, collaborated with the Vilnius, Čiurlionis, and Kaunas string quartets, renowned foreign and Lithuanian performers, and played with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, and Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra.

Jurgis Juozapaitis often performs as a chamber music performer. As a soloist, he has played with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, the LMTA Student Symphony Orchestra, the Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra, the New Era Orchestra (Ukraine), and has performed with the Čiurlionis String Quartet. He is the concertmaster of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra’s viola section.

He has participated in numerous masterclasses in viola and chamber music led by renowned professors, including J. Kluson, A. Kouyoumdjian, H. Kefer, Beyerle, A. Keller, W. Klos, M. da Silva, and others. He has also participated in international and national competitions, winning laureate diplomas in 15 of them: 2nd prize winner at the M. Elskis International Viola Competition in Minsk (2007); 2nd place at the Val Tidone International Chamber Music Competition in Italy (2010); Finalist and winner of a special prize at the 38th Lyceum Club International de Suisse International Chamber Music Competition in Switzerland (2012); 1st prize winner at the 19th International European Chamber Music Competition in Illzach, France (2015). Third place at the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Italy (2019).