Virgilijus Visockis

Associate Professor at the LMTA Department of Conducting. Subjects: Opera Studio, Conducting. Languages: English (C1), Russian (C2), German (B2).

Conductor Virgilijus Visockis graduated from the LMTA (Professor Juozas Domarkas’ symphony orchestra conducting class, 1993). In 1991-1993, he worked as a conductor at the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. Since 1993, Virgilijus Visockis has worked as a conductor at the Kaunas Musical Theatre. Opera L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti was nominated for the prestigious St. Christopher’s (the patron of the Vilnius city) Award in the category of art and music.

Both during the studies and after graduation, the young conductor continued mastering his professional skills. So, in 1990, Virgilijus Visockis took part in conducting seminar in Weimar (Germany) led by conductor Heinz Rögner. In 1994-1997, he followed an internship programme at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Austria) and attended private classes with conductors Julius Kalmar, Leopold Hager, and Franz Bauer-Theussl. In 1996, Virgilijus Visockis participated in the seminar dedicated to opera and run by Professor Julius Kalmar (Vienna, Austria).

Virgilijus Visockis has conducted a wide range of works and received numerous awards. In 1997-1998, at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre, he conducted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, which was awarded Fortūna Award by Kaunas Department of the Lithuanian Theatre Union. Also, worked as a conductor with Imre Kálmán’s Die Zirkusprinzessin and Die Csardasfürstin (Silva).

In 1999, Virgilijus Visockis conducted Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Щелкунчик (The Nutcracker), John Kander’s Zorba, Franz Lehár’s Das Land des Lächelns. In 2001-2002, Zita Bružaitė’s Grybų karas ir taika (The War and Peace of Mushrooms) and Giedrius Kuprevičius’ Karalienė Bona (The Queen Bona), both performed under the baton of conductor Virgilijus Visockis, were awarded Fortūna Award by Kaunas Department of the Lithuanian Theatre Union. Other works include Giedrius Kuprevičius’ Kipras, Fiodoras ir kiti (Kipras, Fyodoras and others), Jacques Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers, Sergei Prokofjev’s Золушка (Cinderella), Tomas Kutavičius’ Nykštukas Nosis (Little Long-Nose), Karl Millöcker’s Der Bettelstudent, Zita Bružaitė’s Voro vestuvės (The Spider’s Wedding), Imre Kálmán’s Das Veilchen vom Montmartre, Johann Strauss’ Wiener Blut, premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Attila in Lithuania, Johann Strauss’ Der Zigeunerbaron, Eduard Chagagortian’s Golden Hat, Antanas Jasenka’s Dryžuota opera, Robert Planquette’s Les cloches de Corneville, Johann Strauss ballet Aschenbrödel, Frederick Loewe’s My Fair Lady, and  Tadeusz Dobrzański’s Loża królewska (The King’s Loge).

Since 2002, Virgilijus Visockis has been a conductor of the annual international festival Operetė Kauno pilyje (Operetta at Kaunas Castle). He has also worked as a conductor with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, the Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, and the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In addition to teaching at the LMTA, Virgilijus Visockis has been teaching at the LMTA Kaunas Faculty (now Music Academy at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU MA) since 1999). He is also Chairman of the Examination Committee at the LMTA, VMU MA, and Vilniaus Kolegija/University of Applied Sciences. A member of the Lithuanian Theatre Association (since 1998), Lithuanian Musicians’ Union (since 2000) and Lithuanian Artists’ Association (since 2005).