Soon we will see the soloist in KVMT repertory performances, singing the already prepared Virėjuka in Antonín Dvořák’s opera “Mermaid” (October 17), making her debut as Dona Anna in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “Don Juan” (October 25) and Anne in Eduard Balsi’s opera “Journey”. to Tilže” (November 8).
A conversation with the singer about the path that led to the Klaipėda State Musical Theater, the roles and the excitement of the stage.
– How did you start your journey into the world of music?
– My musical journey began in kindergarten. I started attending a music school, where I tried to learn a very large instrument – the accordion – at a very young age. I still remember that in the first year I couldn’t put it on my lap myself (laughs). After graduating from the music school, I went to study at the Saulius Sondeckis Arts Gymnasium in Šiauliai, where my first singing teacher Beata Smiltininkienė took care of me (and still cares for me). She became my bridge to professional singing. As a graduate student, I even considered military service, but my teacher dissuaded me. The teacher encouraged us not to neglect music, supported and inspired us not to stop. Maybe that’s exactly what was needed at that time. I am very grateful to her.
– What was your first role in the Klaipėda State Musical Theater and what impressions do you remember from it?
– While studying in the second year at the Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, I participated in a competition in Finland, where I sang the famous Mermaid’s aria. After the performance, I was in such euphoria, I was so deeply touched by this piece that I dreamed that my first audition would be an attempt to get into Antonín Dvořák’s opera The Little Mermaid, staged in this theater. At that time, I did not know that this opera was staged only twice in Lithuania, I did not know how rarely this music is heard in our country. A few years passed, I started my master’s studies, and soon the Klaipėda State Musical Theater announced an audition for the opera “Mermaid”. There was no hesitation whether to participate in the audition at all. I was really looking forward to it, I was preparing, it even seemed like I had been working all those years for this moment. And that moment has come. I sincerely thank the Klaipėda State Musical Theater that I can fulfill my dreams, which are not about achievements yet, but about sentiments – for me, they are the real beauty of life. I didn’t know if I would succeed, but when I got a call from the theater in the evening after the audition, I cried because I got my first role in the theater. My professional life in the theater began from this moment.
Photo by Justina Baltrūnaitė/Vita Merkelytė
– In what other KVMT performances can you be seen? What’s your latest favorite?
– I just made my debut in Antanas Kučinskas’ opera for children “Star Opera”, where I play the role of Mouse, I will reprise the role of Cook in the opera “Mermaid”, and I am also waiting for my debut in the role of Anya in Eduard Balsi’s opera “Journey to Tilžė”. However, the most difficult and challenging debut is Dona Ana in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Don Juan. Dona Ana is a very important role for me, which gives me many opportunities to develop as a performer and artist. I am happy that I will be able to work on stage with other KVMT soloists, from whom I can learn.
– Did you have music teachers who had a big influence on your career?
– All the teachers I worked with had an influence on my further path. The first vocal teacher, Beata Smiltininkienė, laid solid foundations and steered her in the right direction. I also received important vocal lessons from professor Valentina Vadoklienė, with whom I completed my bachelor’s studies. I consider my master’s studies to be the most important and greatest stage of my development, that is, the opportunity to continue my studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, in the capital, under professor Asta Krikščiūnaitė. Professor A. Krikščiūnaitė had the greatest influence on my further path, because it took a lot of work and effort to prepare for the next stages.
– What are your favorite composers or works that you like to perform?
– I am a fan of Antonín Dvořák’s music. I don’t know what specifically fascinates me in his music: whether it is the motifs of Czech folk music, or bold experimentation with different musical genres and styles, or simply the perfectly expressed energy of the Romantic era… He is a composer in whose work I find a lot of encoded thoughts, the uniqueness of music and the real emotional weight. I cannot fail to mention other geniuses of the era of romanticism and verism: Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, Pietro Mascagni, etc.
– What place do rehearsals and the creative process occupy in your life? How are you preparing for a new role?
– For the most part. From the first minute I learn about a future role, I start living it. I am interested in the libretto, I watch other opera productions, but I look for unique colors and try not to stereotype the character.
Photo by Justina Baltrūnaitė/Vita Merkelytė
– How do you interpret your roles – do you have any creative philosophy?
– I personalize all the roles very much, I always look for the right experience in myself for the character.
– Maybe you have developed some pre-show rituals that help you focus and gain self-confidence on stage?
– Meditation. If there is not enough time to sit quietly and meditate, then I do breathing exercises as long as possible. This is how I prepare myself for the scene.
I also have sentimental jewelry given to me by loved ones that I wear whenever I can. This is how I feel their support and good energy
– What are your hobbies or interests outside the theater?
– Everything is related to creativity. I’m happy when I have free time to create something. Whether it’s a drawing or a new poem, maybe some writing about old shoes, making scented candles, jewelry for friends, I like to sew or decorate something (laughs).
– How do you overcome stage fright?
– I can’t win (laughs).
Olesia Kasabova’s photo/Farshad Abbasabadi (Woodworker), Vita Merkelytė (Cook)
– Do you have professional dreams?
– I have many and very different professional dreams. However, the most important thing for me is not to stop improving and not to allow myself to “sit comfortably”, because in the profession of a soloist there must be constant challenges.
– What is your opinion about innovations in the world of musical theater, such as, for example, the inclusion of technology in performances?
– I rate it very positively! Artistic expression can be much broader than people thought 30 years ago. All technologies are like a new branch of art, perfectly complementing various performances.
– What advice would you give to younger singers who want to start a career on the musical theater stage?
– Just don’t be afraid to dream. When the dreams are big, the road to them is not so difficult. Live purposefully!
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