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Giedrius Svilainis (b.1972) studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, the class of choir conducting of Jurijus Kalcas (1992-98) and the class of composition of Osvaldas Balakauskas (1994-98). In 1994, he was awarded 3rd Prize at the Juozas Naujalis Contest for young choirmasters in Vilnius. Since 1994 Giedrius Svilainis is choirmaster of the "Vilnius" mixed choir and leader of the "Skroblas" mixed choir; since 1996 a member of the "Jauna muzika" chamber choir. In 1994-97, he organized Young Composers' Days in Panevėžys, and presently he is one of the organizers of Youth Chamber Music Days in Druskininkai. Since 2004 he is artistic leader of the State Song and Dance Ensemble "Lietuva".
The works of Giedrius Svilainis were featured at the contemporary music festivals in Lithuania (Kopa, 1994; Leliumai, 1997; Musica+, 1997; Youth Chamber Music Days, 1995, 1998-2002, 2004; Jauna muzika / e-muzika, 2002; Gaida, 2004) and the international choral festivals in Rottenburg (1995), Salzburg (1997), Rome (2002), the J.S.Bach and B.Bartók Festival (Italy, 2000). With his choral compositions "O quam tristis" and "Laudate Dominum", the chamber choirs from Vilnius "Psalmos" and "Brevis" became prizewinners at the international choral contests in Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
Probably the most important part of the composer's oeuvre comprises sacred choral works which are favored by many choirs from Lithuania and abroad. Educated as a choirmaster and a composer, Giedrius Svilainis knows the specificity of choir excellently, and strives to write expressive, colorful and effective works, often blending serious and popular music idioms. One of the most popular his compositions is "O quam tristis" for mixed choir.
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