The distinguished Lithuanian maestro Algirdas Vyžintas died Culture

“Lithuania and the world have lost a great MAESTRO, an eminent musician, Knight of the Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania, ethnomusicologist, conductor of choirs and orchestras, birbinist, educator, professor, doctor of humanitarian sciences, national instruments, folk music nurturer. The long-time chief conductor of the Lithuanian Song Festival, the founder and leader of the World Lithuanian Song Festival Foundation, a member of the Lithuanian Musicians’ Union,” the report reads.

Maestro professor Algirdas Vyžintas was awarded the title of merited artist, the honorary title of meritorious artist, the status of creator of Lithuanian art, the Jonas Švedas I prize.

Name of honorary citizen of Utena region, name of honorary citizen of Vyžuonai town (Utena district sav.). Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania.

Algirdas Vyžintas, a bright memory professor, was born on July 30, 1929 in the town of Vyžuonai, Utena district. As a child, he taught himself to play the harmonica and accordion. After graduating from Utena Gymnasium, 1949-1951. He studied journalism at the Vilnius State University, accompanied folk dances, soloists and vocal ensembles with the accordion, and performed as a soloist.

After the Soviet authorities exiled his father, older brother and sister to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, he was persecuted and expelled from the university. He was enrolled in the second year of the Klaipėda Teachers’ Institute, but was also expelled from there.

in 1951 went to Eržvilkas and started teaching music and leading the student choir in the high school, organized a mixed choir of 70 participants from the town and its surroundings, organized concerts, participated in song festivals.

1953-1955 Director of the Skaudvilė Culture House and secondary school music teacher, leader of schoolboy and adult choirs and the village band. Chorus organized in the villages of the former Skaudvilė district, organized song festivals in Skaudvilė and its surroundings – Bijotai and Girdiškė. He performed with the Skaudvilė mixed choir in Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai, Klaipėda in 1955. won first place in the republican song festival competition.

1955-1960 A. Vyžintas studied Lithuanian folk instruments and conducting at the Lithuanian State Conservatory. In 1957-1964, he was the head of the Music Department of the Republican Chamber of Folk Art. methodologist and presenter.

He contributed a lot to the organization of regional and republican song festivals and other cultural events. In the years 1960-1970, he taught conducting and birbyne specialty at the Juoz Tallat-Kelpšas Music Technical School in Vilnius, and led the folk instruments orchestra he prepared in 1965 and 1970. for republican song festivals.

In 1960-1975, artistic director and conductor of the student song and dance ensemble “Šviesa” of the Vilnius State Pedagogical Institute, teacher of the Departments of Music and Aesthetic Education. He prepared the ensemble in 1965, 1970 and 1975 for republican and Baltic students’ song festivals “Gaudeamus”, won prizes with him in various competitions, performed in Lithuania and abroad.

Since 1975 Rudens A. Vyžintas, founder and head of the Folk Music Department of the Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian State Conservatory, since 1978. associate professor, 1983 In Leningrad, he defended his candidate’s thesis in art studies, since 1985. professor, 1983-1989 Vice Chancellor of Faculties. He organized the students’ orchestra of folk instruments, which he prepared in 1980 and 1985. for republican song festivals and student song festivals of the Baltic republics “Gaudeamus”. In 1975, at Klaipėda’s 41st Vocational Technical School, he organized a song and dance ensemble of students and employees, which he led for about eight years. The collective was prepared in 1980. for the republican song festival, often performed with him, won the first places in art lovers’ inspections, performed in 1985 for the participants of the XII World Youth and Student Festival in Moscow.

Since 1989, he has been a pedagogue, head of the Music Department of the Institute for the Development of Lithuanian Cultural Workers, and since 1990, he has been the deputy director for educational matters.

Since 1992, professor of the Department of Folk Instruments of the Lithuanian Academy of Music, since 1993. head of this department. Algirdas Vyžintas was the organizer and leader of the Skaudvilė district song festivals. conductor, conductor of republican song festivals in 1964, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1987 and II World Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius in 1998, as well as consultant of student song festivals of the Baltic republics, member of various art commissions, jury of art lovers’ inspections and competitions member and chairman, Chairman of the Folk Instrumental Music Council of the cities of Vilnius and Klaipėda, 1991-1997 chairman of the instrumental folk music society “Kankles”, 1994 founder and chairman of the foundation of the 1st World Lithuanian Song Festival in Lithuania.

The deceased was always characterized by great intelligence, respect for colleagues and students, demandingness of himself and others. The vision of the professor’s orchestra of Lithuanian national instruments is still alive, original, and never ceases to amaze instrumentologists and listeners of Lithuania and the world.

Professor Algirdas Vyžintas, Maestro of bright memory, left us an invaluable contribution to the research of national, folk music. His great written legacy remained for future generations.

The late A. Vyžintas was the author of many scientific and methodological works. Published more than 300 articles. He wrote the textbooks Birbynės (with P. Samuičius, 1962), Skudučiai (1975), the publication Nuo žilvičios dūdelės… (1995), books Lithuanian traditional instrumental ensembles: Historical, structural and functional analysis (2006 ), the tradition of Lithuanian song festivals (with others, 2013) Monographs: Jonas Švedas (1978), Stasys Paliulis. By means of contracts and certificates. The life and works of a national speaker (2002), Pranas Stepulis (2003), Kazimieras Biliūnas. Features of the life and activity of a music teacher (2004), Vyžuonos. The land and the people (2006), For future generations: a new look at the life and activities of Jonas Švedas (2008), Algirdas Vyžintas: life – for folk music (2010), Pranas Tamošaitis: life and activities (with D. Tamošaityte, 2011 m.), Gifts for future generations (2013), Cultivation of culture and art (2015).

The Lithuanian University of Education alumni community, luminaries, colleagues, like-minded people expressed their sincere condolences to the professor’s relatives, former colleagues, students, communities of Utena region, Vyžuonai town, fans of the talent and everyone who knew him.