{"id":2195,"date":"2015-03-15T06:21:07","date_gmt":"2015-03-15T12:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/draugas.org\/news\/?p=2195"},"modified":"2016-01-23T03:12:15","modified_gmt":"2016-01-23T09:12:15","slug":"she-manipulates-sounds-like-a-sorcerer-mirga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/she-manipulates-sounds-like-a-sorcerer-mirga\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cShe manipulates sounds like a sorcerer\u201d-MIRGA"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alexandra Kudukis.<\/p>\n

On March 1, a group of more than 30 California Lithuanians gathered at the Los angeles walt Disney Concdert Hall for a evening of Mozart, stravinsky and Beethoven. They unfurled a Lithuanian flag on the steps in honor of the Los angeles Philharmonic\u2019s recently appointed assistant Conductor, Lithuanian Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla. The 29-year-old conductor has impressed Los angeles audiences and music critics since her debut concert in august 2014 at the Hollywood Bowl and continues to do so. In 2014, The Los Angeles Times wrote: \u201cConductor Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla is already creating a stir in the classical music world for her buoyant podium style and intense approach to demanding symphonic works.\u201d Mark swed of the LA Times commented after her first La concert: \u201cshe manipulates sounds like a sorcerer. agree with her or not, she\u2019s on top of everything every second and clearly thrilled to be so,\u201d while after the March 1, 2015, concert he proclaimed: \u201cMirga mania can now officially begin.\u201d Vilnius-native Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla was born into a musical family and showed an early predilection to singing. she graduated with Bachelor\u2019s degree in choral and orchestral conducting from the university of Music and Fine arts in graz, austria, and then decided to concentrate wholly on the orchestra, pursuing her studies at the Music Conservatory in Zurich, switzerland. In 2012 Ms. gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla was the winner of the prestigious Nestl\u00e9 and salzburg Festival Young Conductors award, an honor that opened doors to numerous conducting opportunities, one of which was a perk of the award \u2014 the chance to conduct the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in a symphonic concert at the Salzburger Festspiele. she has collaborated with gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica, made her debut with the Wiener Kammerorchester in Vienna, and in 2013\/14 was First Kapellmeister of the Opera House in Bern, switzerland. The salzburg Young Conductor\u2019s award came to the attention of the La Philharmonic\u2019s Music Director gustavo Dudamel, who selected Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla as one the the orchestra\u2019s Dudamel Fellows in 2013. He commented on the orchestra website, \u201cwhen Mirga won the salzburg Festival Young Conductors award in 2012, I heard from many friends about this extraordinary talent from Lithuania. we invited her to Los angeles under our conducting fellowship program and she impressed me, my colleagues in the orchestra, and everyone she came into contact with.\u201d In 2014 Mirga was offered the position of assistant Conductor of the Los angeles Philharmonic for two consecutive seasons. New offers keep rolling in: she was most recently appointed Music Director of the salzburg Landestheater with the start of the 2015\/16 season.<\/p>\n

\"On
On the steps of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. First row: Vida Markevi\u010dien\u0117, Claudia Kazlauskien\u0117, Carlos Navarrette, Honorary Consul of Lithuania Daiva \u010cekanauskait\u0117 Navarrette, Conductor Mirga Gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla, Janina \u010cekanauskien\u0117 and Maryt\u0117 Newsom. 2nd row: Amandas Ragauskas, Audra Deveikait\u0117, Maryte Sepikait\u0117, Olita Dautartait\u0117, Violeta Gedgaudien\u0117, Vaida Mikuckien\u0117, Dalia \u010cernien\u0117, Aldona Venck\u016bnien\u0117, Algirdas Avi\u017eienis, ir Rasa \u0160ilkaitien\u0117. 3rd row: Romas Dabravalskis, Danute Giedraitien\u0117, Neringa Railyt\u0117, Rolandas Giedraitis, Birut\u0117 Kliorien\u0117, Ina Sekien\u0117, Raimundas \u0160ilkaitis and Robert Newsom. 4th row: Rimtautas Dab\u0161ys, Elenut\u0117 Jasiulevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, Vincas Stokas, Mindaugas Gedgaudas, Railyt\u0117 Golding ir Honorary Consul of Estonia Jaak Treiman. \u012fth row: Algis Mikuckis, K\u0119stutis Daugirdas, Marius Markevi\u010dius, Vytautas \u010cernius, Albinas Sekas and Virgis Kasputis. Photo: Casey Kazlauskas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mirga, in 2014, you were appointed Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Was this a surprise for you? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The surprise was far greater in 2013, when I was invited as a Dudamel Fellow for a five-week engagement. It was a wonderful first experience and first collaboration with the orchestra. A couple of months later, after I had returned to Europe, I was offered the post of Assistant Conductor. I couldn\u2019t accept the position immediately because I was engaged with the Opera House in Bern, Switzerland. So, I had to defer the opportunity for a year.<\/p>\n

You are not yet 30 yrs. old, yet you have accomplished so much! How do you handle this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You know, it\u2019s a great joy to encounter such an orchestra. I\u2019m grateful and happy that I have received such a gift. But then, sometimes I wake up in the morning with a fright \u2014 do I really know what I\u2019m doing? After rehearsals I think: these musicians are incredible, what can I offer them? In every person\u2019s life there are highs and lows. I worry that I don\u2019t know enough.<\/p>\n

When I work with an amateur or a youth orchestra, it sometimes starts out very slow. Often times the musicians are unfamiliar with the piece, everything is off. But there are many rehearsals. You work at it and work at it, and in the end, you are so gratified that collectively you have created a symphony worthy of professionals. The path from the first rehearsal to the final performance is long, even for professionals. The further you go, the more difficult it is to stop. I have become convinced that the most important thing is the process, always moving forward, not stopping, not resting on one\u2019s laurels. There is no respite from driving toward perfection.<\/p>\n

I watched a short video of you from 1996 on YouTube (https:\/\/www.youtube .com\/ watch?v=wUXv6uTsIfI). You were a contestant in the \u201cSong of Songs\u201d competition on Lithuanian television. I believe you were in the fourth grade. You seemed so self-composed, standing in front of the audience with the orchestra behind you. You sang a song ,,Gera b\u016bt\u0173\u201d (It would be good to be)\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

That was a poem by Sigitas Geda put to music by Anatolijus \u0160enderovas. It\u2019s a beautiful song. I am grateful to my parents for preparing me to sing in that contest. I recall that there were disagreements at home. I didn\u2019t want to participate, while my parents kept trying to convince me. But our biggest disagreements were over acting. My parents, especially my father, thought that this song required that I act the part of the character. In the beginning the character is asleep, she gradually wakes, and then she puts up a fuss. My father came up with the moves. I fought him from the very beginning. \u201cWho needs this?\u201d I said. But in the end it turned out to be lots of fun.<\/p>\n

Is that when you understood that you belong on the stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, I did not have that desire then. I remember having the jitters before going on. Those were difficult minutes. But once I stepped on the stage, I felt fine. I just did what I had to do. I do remember that I decided to dedicate my life to music at the age of eleven. Up until then, I did not study music. I neither played an instrument, nor did I take any type of music classes. It seems that my parents did not want to make a musician out of me. But because both of my parents were musicians, everything at home was affected by music. I thought to myself, that if I don\u2019t become a musician, I will be separated from life and my family. My parents were resolute to give their child a practical start in life, some pragmatic specialty that would give her a sound basis on which to stand. That is what they planned, but that is not the way it turned out.<\/p>\n

You studied in Graz, Leipzig and Zurich. When did your love of singing turn to conducting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was an evolution. As you aptly put it, my love grew and continues to grow. My decision to turn toward orchestral conducting started when I was studying in Graz, Austria. Until that time I was into vocal music. One professor, an opera conductor, for whom I had to play opera scales on the fortepiano and sing, kept asking me: wouldn\u2019t I rather study orchestral conducting? That, I thought, seemed so remote. I\u2019d say, \u201cno that isn\u2019t my specialty.\u201d But that seed, once planted, began to grow, until I finally agreed to give it a try in addition to vocal music.<\/p>\n

After I completed my BA I had to choose whether to pursue both singing and conducting or just one. I decided on the latter.<\/p>\n

In 2012 you won the much coveted Nestl\u00e9 and Salzburg Young Conductors Competition. You were selected from 91 candidates. How did you feel having bested so many talented young conductors?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be very frank. It\u2019s an amazing award. It is very prestigious and it opened up many opportunities for me. That is a fact. But we shouldn\u2019t exaggerate things. First of all, although there were 91 candidates, I did not see any of them, so it didn\u2019t feel like a competition.<\/p>\n

\"Mirga
Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla conducts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They were seen only by the jury committee, to whom the candidates sent their applications and performance tapes. That is how conducting competitions are usually held. We also had to write an essay on what motivates us and our conception of conducting. Three finalists were selected from the pool of candidates. The winner of the award conducts a concert at the Salzburg Festival the following year. This is very difficult. The Festival is attended by very important people, world-class artists and performers, and many journalists. I rehearsed with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra three times per day and in between rehearsals gave countless interviews. It was indeed very difficult work. The award gave me so much, but then again\u2026 there are two sides to a coin.<\/p>\n

I noticed that you spoke flawless German with the journalists. Where did you learn the language?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I began my studies I lived with a family in Austria for two years, and over the last ten years I have been living in German-speaking countries: Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. I also lived in Italy for about a year. I was immersed in the language. I speak German quite freely now, so I\u2019m looking for opportunities to improve my English and at the same time not neglect my native language, Lithuanian.<\/p>\n

My mother\u2019s friends in Cleveland, OH greatly admire Maestro Dudamel. They say he is more than a conductor. While others might conduct mechanically, Gustavo Dudamel conducts from the heart, giving his entire soul. What impressed you most working with him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is his passion with which he does everything, as you say, giving his entire soul, that is impressive. Whenever he is in town the air is electrified. I think that he has been greatly affected by the environment in which he grew up \u2013 Venezuela. Together with Deborah Borda (President of the Los Angeles Philharmonic), he founded Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) according to the El Sistemosmodel. He is wholeheartedly dedicated to music and to making it accessible to all audiences. He wants children to learn to appreciate music and to experience the miracles that it provides. I greatly admire his character and work.\"Untitled_Clipping_011716_055613_PM\"<\/p>\n

If you were to choose your favorite composer, who would it be? <\/strong><\/p>\n

It is probably impossible to choose one. It is usually the composer of the piece that I am working on at any given moment, because it is that piece into which I am pouring my heart and soul. Sometimes the process is easy, sometimes more difficult. Sometimes, as I work on a piece, I feel that it is not the best piece of music, but then I know I must work harder to discover its beauty. I still need to learn and experience a great deal. Only after I have had the opportunity of seeing the entire musical horizon will I be able to decide \u201chere is my home, this is where I feel the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are you interested in introducing Lithuanian composers to American audiences? <\/strong><\/p>\n

O yes! I have done that in Europe, whenever I have had the opportunity. Take, for example, one of Lithuania\u2019s rising young composers, Raminta \u0160erk\u0161nyt\u0117. A few years ago she was commissioned by Mariss Jansons, another great maestro, to compose a piece to be performed before Beethoven\u2019s compositions. It was called \u201cUgnys\u201d (Fires). It was performed several times in Lithuania and then just recently in Augsburg, Germany, by the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Orchestra of Ludwigshafen. We performed B. Kutavi\u010dius\u2019 \u201cThe Gates of Jerusalem\u201d in Salzburg. The Munich Radio Choir performed Vasiliauskait\u0117\u2019s \u201cCanticle of the Sun\u201d that was inspired by the works of St. Francis. It was a great experience. I\u2019m looking forward to such opportunities in the United States.<\/p>\n

How do Lithuanian, German and American musical cultures differ? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every country has its own climate, its own natural resources, and its own music system. Each country also has its own conducting traditions. In Lithuania they joke that every other resident is choirmaster. In fact, Lithuania does have a wonderful educational system that produces many choir leaders. Most of our orchestra conductors are former choir leaders. In clich\u00e9d terms, that\u2019s the Lithuanian road to becoming a conductor. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland orchestra conductors come up through the theater or the opera. The begin by accompanying singers at the piano, then playing for rehearsals. In such a\u00a0way they become acquainted with the works of operatic repertoire. In Italy it is again different: there they study composition. Only after mastering composition, can one begin to study orchestral conducting. In America you have assistantships. There are some conductor assistant positions in Europe, but that is not the standard, while in the US almost every orchestra conductor has an assistant. Sometimes the assistant works for three or more years with the orchestra, other times it\u2019s only a few weeks. In German speaking countries there are many theaters, and the arts are strongly supported by the state.<\/p>\n

Where do you call home?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2011, I started working at the Heidelberg Opera House, and this now is my base-camp. I have an apartment there. Besides my home in Lithuania, I have Heidelberg. Heidelberg\u2019s population is similar to Vilnius, perhaps a bit less. Heidelberg has its own opera house and an orchestra of about 60 musicians (half of the Los Angeles Philharmonic). About 20 kilometers from Heidelberg is Mannheim, which has a huge orchestra of about 100 musicians and a large opera house. About 20 minutes away from Heidelberg in the other direction is Ludwigshafen, which also has a large orchestra. Frankfurt, a major cultural center, is about an hour away. It is gratifying at all of these groups are supported by the state, and opera houses employ many musicians.<\/p>\n

As a conductor, do you face any particular challenges because you are a woman?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hear this question often. I would have to say no. But it would be more appropriate to pose this question to musicians who can assess what it means to work for a woman or a man. What are your plans for the future? I hope to continue to tread along this difficult path. Where it will take me, I do not know.<\/p>\n

Giedr\u0117 \u0160lekyt\u0117 \u2013 nestl\u00e9 and salzburg Festival Young Conductors award 2015 finalist<\/h2>\n

Lithuania\u2019s best export seems to be young female conductors. no sooner than Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-tyla took the nestl\u00e9 and salzburg Festival Young Conductors award in 2012, than another Lithuanian is vying for the spot this year.<\/p>\n

On March 17th the finalists of the award for 2015 were nominated. they are giedr\u0117 \u0160lekyt\u0117 (Lithuania), Jiri rozen (Czech republic) , and Lorenzo Viotti (switzerland). they will each conduct one concert with the Camerata salzburg on august 8, 9 and 10, 2015 as part of the salzburg Festival, after which, a winner will be chosen.<\/p>\n

A few facts about Lithuania\u2019s new up and coming star: giedr\u0117 \u0160lekyt\u0117 was born in Lithuania in 1989. she began her musical education aged 6 at the national Mikalojus Konstantinas \u010ciurlionis art school in Vilnius. she went on to study conducting at the university of Music and Fine arts in graz as well as at the academy of Music and theatre in Leipzig.<\/p>\n

\"Untitled_Clipping_011716_055627_PM\"As guest conductor giedr\u0117 \u0160lekyt\u0117 has regularly appeared with the st. Christopher Chamber orchestra in Lithuania, the Chuncheon Philharmonic orchestra in south Korea, the Philharmonie s\u00fcdwestfalen, staatsorchester Frankfurt oder, at Konzert theater Bern as well as Bruckner orchester Linz.<\/p>\n

Giedr\u0117 \u0160lekyt\u0117 was admitted to the dirigentenForuM of the deutscher Musikrat in april 2013, the most important and prestigious institution supporting the professional career of aspiring young conductors in germany.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alexandra Kudukis. On March 1, a group of more than 30 California Lithuanians gathered at the Los angeles walt Disney Concdert Hall for a evening of Mozart, stravinsky and Beethoven. They unfurled a Lithuanian flag on the steps in honor of the Los angeles Philharmonic\u2019s recently appointed assistant Conductor, Lithuanian Mirga gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla. The 29-year-old …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[79,127],"class_list":["post-2195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-music","tag-draugas-news","tag-kudukis-a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2195"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2195\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.draugas.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}