Benjaminas Želvys

Singer BENJAMINAS ŽELVYS (baritone) was born in Marijampolė (1956). In 1986 he graduated from the Lithuanian State Conservatory where he studied solo singing guided by G.Grigorian. In the same year he started to work at the Kaunas State Musical Theater where he created parts in operas, operettas, and musicals. The singer together with his colleagues arranged many concert programs and took part in concerts in Cuba, Poland, Finland, Hungary, USA, and Russia.
Arias and duets from famous operettas sung by B.Želvys are recorded on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television. He sang the arranged concert solo programs in Vilnius and Marijampolė.
B.Želvys worked in the Children’s Music School of Marijampolė. He taught singing in the Pedagogical School of Marijampolė.
In 1995 B.Želvys and his colleagues founded an ensemble called “Baritone Trio”. This ensemble produced and published several audio cassettes and CD records which promote the light genres of the stage music – operetta and musical.
In 2002 the ensemble “Baritone Trio” organized the first international festival of this kind of stage music called “Operetta in Kaunas Castle”. The festival became annual afterwards. B.Želvys is the President of the “Operetta Club” established in 2004.

In 2005 Kaunas city Council awarded B.Želvys with the Badge of Honor “Santaka” of the third degree for his merits for the city.
In 2007 B.Želvys was awarded with the State Order Medal entitled “For Merits to Lithuania”.
In 2005 B.Želvys became the General Manager of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre.

Characters created by the singer BENJAMINAS ŽELVYS:
1986, Tony – opera by G.C.Menotti “Help, Help, the Globolinks!”
1987, Bob – musical tragicomedy by G.Cabadze “My Mad Brother”
1988, Kromov – operetta by F.Lehár “Die Lustige Witve” (“The Merry Widow”)
1989, Achille – operetta by J.Offenbach “La belle Hélène” (“The Beautiful Helen”)
1989, Mr.Bug – opera-ballet by V.Kuprevičius “The Grasshopper and Ants”
1990, Mustafa Bey – operetta by P.Abraham “A Ball in Savoy”
1991, Marullo – opera by G.Verdi “Rigoletto”
1992, Boni – operetta by I.Kálmán “ Die Casdasfürstin”
1993, Dr.Falke – operetta by J.Strauss “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”)
1995, Tony – operetta by I.Kálmán “Die Zirkusprinzessin” (“The Circus Princess”)
1996, Felice – operetta by F.Lehár “Paganini”
1996, Ferry – operetta by P.Abraham “Victoria”
1997, Pluto – operetta by J.Offenbach “Orphée aux Enfers” (“Orpheus in Hell”)
1998, Max Detweiler – musical by R.Rodgers “The Sound of Music”
1999, Matier – opera by U.Giordano “Andre Chenier”
The Priest- musical by J.Cander “Zorba”, introduction
2001, Eunuch – operetta by F.Lehár “Das Land des Lächelns” (“The Land of Smiles”)
2001, Massacio – operetta by K Millöcker ”Gasparone”
2001, Mr.Boletus- opera-parody by Z.Bružaitė “The War and Peace of Mushrooms”
2001, Delacqua – operetta by J.Strauss “Eine Nacht in Venedig” (“A Night in Venice”)
2002, Valerheim – operetta by I.Kálmán “Die Casdasfürstin”, introduction
2003, Gregorio – opera by Ch.Gounod “Romeo and Juliet”
2004, Lipšicas – operetta in Kaunas by G.Kuprevičius “Kipras, Fiodoras and Others”
2004, Filip – operetta by I.Kálmán “Die Bajadere”
2004, The Adviser – musical by G.Galdkov “The Bremen Town Musicians”
2005, The Father – opera by T.Kutavičius and V.Palčinskaitė “The Little Longnose”