Julius Geniušas

Chief Conductor of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre JULIUS GENIUŠAS studied choir conducting (in the class of prof. P.Gilys) in the art school of M.K.Čiurlionis from 1969 until 1980. In 1980 he entered the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy. In 1986 he graduated the Academy majoring in the specialty of symphonic and opera conducting in the professor J.Aleksa’s class.

He began to work in the Kaunas State Musical theatre as a conductor in 1986, since 1990 he is the theatre’s chief conductor. From 1991 to 2003 he worked as a head assistant at the Kaunas faculty of the Lithuanian Music Academy. In 2006 he became an associate professor. In 2011 J.Geniušas became a professor of the Music Academy at Vytautas Magnus University, this Academy’s Chairman of the Board and a member of the University Senate.

Until 2012 J.Geniušas has conducted over 2400 performances at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Palace of Congress (along with the Lithuanian State Symphonic Orchestra), Lithuanian Opera in Chicago.

He participated in producing 31 premieres at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre:
– 13 operas: W.A.Mozart “Cosi fan tutte”, G.Verdi “Rigoletto”, L.Beethoven “Fidelio”, Ch. Gounod “Faust”, K.V.Banaitis “Jūratė and Kastytis”, F.Flotow “Martha”, U.Giordano “Andrea Chenier”, G.Verdi “La Traviata”, Ch. Gounod “Romeo and Juliet” (together with the conductor J.Aleksa), G.Bizet “Carmen (together with conductor G.Rinkevičius), G.Donizetti “Lucia di Lamermoor”, D.Rossini “The Marriage Certificate”, D.Puccini “Gianni Schicchi”.
– 5 musicals: L.Bernstein “Westside Story”, F.Loewe “My Fair Lady”, J.Kander, F.Ebb, J.Masteroff “Cabaret” (together with P.Geniušas), C.Porter “Kiss me, Kate”, Cy Coleman “Sweet Charity”, M.Samoilov “The American Comedy”.
– 7 operettas: J.Offenbach “La belle Hélène” (“The Beautiful Helen”), I.Kálmán “Die Zirkusprinzessin” (“The Circus Princess”), J.Strauss “Die Fledermaus” (“The Bat”),
J.Strauss “Eine Nacht in Venedig” (“A Night in Venice”), F.Lehár “Die Lustige Witve” (“The Merry Widow”), F.Lehár “Der Graf von Luxemburg” (“The Count of Luxemburg”), and others.
– 8 ballet performances: among them – G.Gershwin’s “American in Paris”, A.Glazunov’s “The Maiden Servant”; performances for children (an opera-ballet for children “The Grasshopper and Ants” by V.Kuprevičius, etc.). J.Geniušas is a conductor of performances: D.Puccini’s “Madam Butterfly”, W.A.Mozart’s “Don Juan”, G.Donizetti’s “Love Elixir”, F.Lehar’s Paganini”, and “Viennese Blood” by J.Strauss.
J.Geniušas conducted over 160 concerts.
J.Geniušas also conducted performances at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, among them: G.Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, J.Strauss’ “Fledermouse”, Ch.Gounod’s “Faust”, G.Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor”, J.Strauss’ “Vienese Blood”. He participated in the production of 3 performances: G.Verdi’s “La Traviata” (together with conductor R.Geniušas), P.Tchaikovsky’s “Queen of Spades” (together with conductor L.Balčiūnas), F.Lehár’s operetta “The Merry Widow” (together with conductor J.Aleksa).

Together with the Lithuanian State Symphonic Orchestra J.Geniušas conducted over 20 concerts of symphonic music and 6 operas (W.A.Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and “Pagliacci” by R.Leoncavallo), he also took part in other stagings: G.Puccini’s “La Boheme” and J.Massenet “Werther”.

J.Geniušas cooperated with the Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago and staged four operas there: “Jūratė and Kastytis” by K.Banaitis (1996), “Martha” by F.Flotow (1997), F.Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” (2010), and F.Lehar’s “The Count of Luxembourg”.

J.Geniušas arranged and conducted over 100 programs of symphonic, opera and chamber music in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the USA, Germany, and Russia. He collaborated with the Lithuanian State symphonic orchestra, the symphonic orchestra of Kaunas, the symphonic orchestra of the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy, the symphonic orchestra of N.Rimsky-Korsakov’s Conservatory in St. Petersburg, the united symphonic  youth orchestra of Russia and EU, as well as symphonic and chamber orchestras of Latvia, and the symphonic orchestras of Estonia, Tartu, and Liepoja.

J.Geniušas participated in various music festivals: „Jeunesses Musicales“ (Germany, 1992), „Classionata“ (Switzerland, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007), Palanga Music (1998), Klaipėda Music (1998), Pažaislis Music (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001), „Gaida“ (1999, 2004), „Young Music“ (2001), „Music in European Castles“ (2008 St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad), „Operadays“ in Kuressaare, (Estonia, 2004).
Annually ever since 2002 J.Geniušas conducts in the international music festival “Operetta in Kaunas Castle”, he is also the chief conductor of this festival.

Since 1991, more than 50 graduates have finished studies at the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy guided by J.Geniušas. In 2004 Julius Geniušas was awarded with the Estonian White Star Order of the fifth degree and the Merit of Honor “Santaka” of the second degree.

In 2012 conductor Julius Geniušas and his artistic group were awarded with the “Fortūna” prize for their work during the staging of G.Donizetti’s opera “Lucia di Lammermoor” at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre.

8 compact discs with musical pieces conducted by J.Geniušas were released in collaboration with the Lithuanian State symphonic orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber orchestra, and Kaunas State Musical Theatre orchestra, as well as a performance of F.Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” produced at the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre (DVD).