Rūta Vitkauskaitė – Composer

“Music, I think, is an inevitable part of the human condition, it is the most powerful learning tool for understanding and experiencing how the many layers and dimensions of our life, societies and states of mind interact. Through imagination and experimentation I try to stretch the understanding of what we, as humans, are capable of, where we can grow, and I communicate these ideas to my audiences.“ – Rūta Vitkauskaitė

Rūta Vitkauskaitė is a multiple winner of the Best Composition of the Year award in Lithuania, who has migrated to various countries, captivating her audiences with her classical compositions and community outreach projects. She identifies as a classical composer with a strong interest in collaborative music creation and interdisciplinary projects. Rūta has a PhD in Composition from the Royal Academy of Music in London, and has received numerous awards in the UK and Lithuania, including the prestigious Golden Stage Cross for the collaborative opera ‘Confessions’. Her ensemble, orchestral, collaborative, and interdisciplinary works have been performed in festivals across the globe, including Gaudeamus (NL), Sound (UK), and Gaida (LT). Her work has also been featured in MusikTexte journal in Germany, broadcasted on BBC Radio 3, and released by CDKlassisk. Rūta often performs by herself, with the violin being her main instrument. Sharing her passion for music with wider audiences lies at the heart of Rūta’s work, and she dedicates a substantial amount of her time to community music, including running the CoMA Glasgow group. Since 2021, Rūta has been a Lecturer in Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Rūta Vitkauskaitė: Violin Concerto

Film by Ilmė Vyšniauskaitė, featuring soloist Dalia Kuznecovaitė, and the premiere at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic as part of Gaida Festival.

Composers on Air: Reflections on the Music and Life of Rūta Vitkauskaitė

(a conversation with True Rosarchi)