Julijus Andrejevas (b. 1942, January 7, in Kaunas) graduated from the Lithuanian State Conservatory (presently the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre), where he studied piano under Aldona Dvarionienė (until 1965) and composition under Eduardas Balsys (until 1971). Since 1965 he has been teaching at the Vilnius Balys Dvarionas Music School, and since 1973 at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 1974-82 Julijus Andrejevas was a harpsichordist and pianist of the ensemble Musica humana. In 1984-89 he was the secretary of the Board of the Lithuanian Composers' Union, in 1989-91 - the chairman of the Board. From 1991 to 1998 the composer lived in Spain and taught at the private conservatoire Mayeusis, Vigo, headed the piano department, was the vice-director. In 1999-2001 Julijus Andrejevas was the CEO of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
In acknowledgement of his artistic and cultural merits, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania in 2012 by the president of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė.
At the beginning Julijus Andrejevas mostly created for theatre, he wrote music for many drama productions and films. Now the composer focuses on small-scale chamber genres, music for children and educational repertoire.
In his compositions Julijus Andrejevas follows both classical traditions and different 20th century trends (such as serialism, etc). His music is characterised by emotional expressiveness, consistent dramatic development, unity of musical material, frequent use of polymodal and polyrhythmic structures.
Eglė Grigaliūnaitė
