Department of Folk Instruments

Head of the Department:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aistė Bružaitė
E-mail: aiste.bruzaite@lmta.lt

Address:
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Building 4
T. Kosciuškos 10, 01100 Vilnius, Lithuania
Room 309

Coordinator:
Asta Vaitkevičiūtė-Skliutė
E-mail: asta.vaitkeviciute@lmta.lt 
Phone: +370 5 262 8537
LMTA Building 2, Vilniaus 6-2, 01110 Vilnius, Lithuania 
Room 304

Established in 1945, the Department of Folk Instruments has trained over 300 graduates—performers of national instruments, educators, ensemble leaders, and conductors. The department offers studies in the performance of national musical instruments, specifically kanklės and birbynė. Teacher‘s qualification can be obtained by choosing parallel studies in music pedagogy.

Bachelor’s programme in Music Performance (specialisation – kanklės, birbynė) provides practical skills and theoretical musical training, strengthening performance abilities and competencies in the field of music.

Master’s programme in Music Performance (specialisation – kanklės, birbynė) focuses on an in-depth exploration of the performance trends and expressive techniques of Lithuanian national instruments.

Graduates of the Master’s programme may apply for Artistic Doctorate (DA) studies, delving into the evolution of Lithuanian national instruments, their advertising, and artistic research fields. The doctoral program encourages innovative artistic research on the genre of Lithuanian national musical instruments, providing young scholars with opportunities to conduct research and present their findings to the academic community.

The department includes six distinguished national instrument teachers, highly experienced kanklės and birbynė educators who are dedicated to each student pursuing this professional path. Collaboration with international national instrument performers and educators, as well as engagement with related instrumental traditions (masterclasses, knowledge exchange), continuously enriches the sound of national instruments.

Thanks to the department’s graduates, refined Lithuanian national musical instruments are played professionally both in Lithuania and abroad. The country hosts song festivals, concerts, competitions, seminars, and conferences. The department plays an active role in integrating Baltic regional folk culture into the broader cultural landscape of the European Union, fostering artistic, pedagogical, and research collaborations among students and educators from Baltic higher education institutions. Additionally, the department contributes to the international promotion of Lithuanian national musical instruments and their repertoire.

The department is open to national and international artistic and academic collaborations, continuous improvement of study quality, and innovations. Talented performers of folk instruments from Lithuania and beyond are trained by highly qualified educators, using modern study tools and technologies.