Aušra Butkevičienė

Lecturer at the Department of Music of the LMTA Klaipėda Faculty. Subjects: Jazz Vocal Performance. Languages: Russian (B2), English (C1).

Aušra Butkevičienė is an orchestra director and has qualifications of an orchestra performer and a teaching expert. A winner of numerous competitions, Aušra is the initiator and founder of the vocal quartet Cappella’A (since 2003), an idea creator and founder (since 2006) of the children and youth jazz art expression studio Junior City Jazz (Klaipėda Queen Louise Youth Centre), and the founder of the jazz vocal performance department at the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatory (since 2010).

Performer Aušra Butkevičienė has taken part in various events such as Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival, Kaunas Jazz, Birštonas Jazz Festivals, Vilnius Mama Jazz (all – Lithuania), and Don Cento Jazz Festival (Russia). Aušra is a pioneer and advocate of the backing vocal culture. She has participated in the concerts of Klasikos diversijos (Classical Diversions) projects, TV projects of the Lithuanian National Radio and TV, and taken part in concert programmes with famous Lithuanian performers Gytis Paškevičius, Ovidijus Vyšniauskas, Rosita Čivilytė, and the band B’Avarija. In 2012, the singer recorded an a cappella programme with the band Cappella’A and released it as a CD.

In 2019, Aušra Butkevičienė wrote and published the first book about jazz for children and family readings in the Lithuanian language. The book contains a methodological tool for teachers and parents striving to understand and delve into the genre of jazz.

Aušra Butkevičienė writes songs and creates vocal arrangements (among her projects are Uraganius, an electronic folk music performer, and Rosita Čivilytė’s album Iš tavo audros (From Your Storm)). Besides her creative activity, Aušra Butkevičienė runs professional development seminars for Lithuanian teachers.