Jarūnė Barkauskaitė
Associate Professor at the LMTA Organ and Harpsichord Department. Subjects: Organ, Organ-related Disciplines. Languages: English (B2), German (B2), Russian (C1).
Jarūnė Barkauskaitė, an acclaimed organist. In 1990, just after having graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre with a degree in piano and organ, Jarūnė Barkauskaitė joined the teaching staff of her alma mater as a lecturer at the newly established Department of Organ and Harpsichord. In 1993-1994, she followed an internship programme at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (Sweden) with Professor Torvald Torén. Later, Jarūnė Barkauskaitė mastered her skills in numerous international organ music interpretation courses in Latvia (Riga), Estonia (Tallinn), Russia (St. Petersburg), the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, and Spain. Within the Erasmus mobility program, Jarūnė Barkauskaitė completed an internship programmes at the State Conservatory of L’Aquila (Italy), Prince Claus Conservatory Groningen (the Netherlands), Mozarteum University Salzburg (Austria), and the Higher School for Music Dresden (Germany).
Soloist and chamber music performer Jarūnė Barkauskaitė has developed a wide range of music programs and participates in international music events both in Lithuania and abroad.
Associate Professor Jarūnė Barkauskaitė teaches organ-related disciplines, has developed a new course, History of Organ Art, and runs teacher training classes. Her students are winners of Juozas Naujalis Organ Competitions and Jonas Žukas Competitions for Young Organists; they are active participants of the music world and successfully work in music education in Lithuania and abroad.
Jarūnė Barkauskaitė can be often seen as a participant of scientific conferences, and her presentations appear as journal publications. She has organised a scientific conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the organ class at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Jarūnė Barkauskaitė has also delivered several significant presentations: for example, Pedagoginio repertuaro tendencijos Lietuvos vargonų mokykloje (The Tendencies of the Teaching Repertoire of the Lithuanian Organ Music School) at the international conference Lietuvos vargonų atstatymo perspektyvos, vargonų meno vystymas ir sklaida (Prospects of the Restoration of the Lithuanian Organ. Development and Promotion of the Organ Art) in Troškūnai (Lithuania). Also, at the conference organised by the Higher School for Music Dresden (Germany), she delivered a presentation on The Peculiarities of Training Organists in Lithuania and Germany.
Jarūnė Barkauskaitė often runs training courses for the Lithuanian church organists. Her first courses Bažnyčios vargonininkų kursai Juozo Naujalio dvasioje (Training for Church Organists in the Spirit of Juozas Naujalis) took place in 1990 — the year of restoration of the independence of Lithuania — together with famous Lithuanian organist, Professor Leopoldas Digrys.
Associate Professor Jarūnė Barkauskaitė plays an active role in the development of LMTA study programmes: in 2017, she coordinated and prepared the descriptors of the specialisation of the organ within the LMTA bachelor’s and master’s studies. She is an eager participant of evaluation committees at various national and international competitions: Rudolf Lyman Organ Competition, Juozas Naujalis Organ Competition, competitions for young organists and young pianists (e.g., young pianist competition Polifonija ir aš (Polyphony and Me). In 2019, Jarūnė Barkauskaitė was the secretary of the evaluation committee of the International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano and Organ Competition.
Jarūnė Barkauskaitė has been awarded with Certificates of Appreciation from various Lithuanian schools and churches for her contribution into the events. In 2018, together with the Lithuanian Musicians Support Foundation, she organised a series of concerts Popiežiaus Pranciškaus belaukiant (Waiting for Pope Francis), for which Jarūnė Barkauskaitė was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from Juozas Grušas, Archbishop of Vilnius.