Antanas Kučinskas (b.1968) graduated from the Vilnius Conservatory (1988) where he studied music theory and composition. He continued composition studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music with Prof. Vytautas Barkauskas, graduating in 1993. His Ph.D. research on "The Principles of Composition in the Works of Contemporary Lithuanian Composers" was completed and defended in 2001 at the same institution. In 1995 he participated in the workshop for young composers in Apeldoorn, Holland. From 1991 to 1999 he taught modern music history at the Vilnius Conservatory. For five years since 1993 he has been sound director and, since 1998, head of the music department of the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre. Since 2007 he also holds teaching post at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Antanas Kučinskas has organized several conferences of music theory. In the beginning of 2003, the composer resided and worked in the Visby International Centre for Composers and the recently founded electro-acoustic music studio 'Alpha' (Gotland, Sweden).
His "Magic Flute" for flute and tape was awarded the 4th prize of the Music Fund of the Lithuanian Composers' Union (1995) and 'Very Highly Commended' in the Kathryn Thomas International Flute Composition Competition (London, 2000). In 2008 he was awarded the Gold Stage Cross for the best Lithuanian work of musical theatre for children (an opera for children "A Potato Tale"). Since 2008 Kučinskas is a member of electronic music collective "Diissc Orchestra". Their debut album D.O., released in the same year and including pieces by five composers (Kučinskas' "Sum" among them), was awarded the prize for the best electro-acoustic work at the composers' competition organized by the Lithuanian Composers' Union.
His works were performed at various festivals and concert venues in Lithuania and abroad: Gaida (1991, 2003, 2004), Jauna muzika (1992, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008), Permainų muzika (2008), Iš arti (2008), Musical Action Festival (1993) in Vilnius, Kopa in Klaipėda (1997), Žuvys in Šiauliai (1996), Kamerton in Pescara (Italy, 1999), Pianissimo in Sofia (Bulgaria, 2000), Göteborg Art Sounds Festival (Sweden, 2005), Minsk (Belarus, 1988), Apeldoorn (the Netherlands, 1995), and elsewhere.
The creative output of Antanas Kučinskas shows a great deal of diversity in style, frequent combinations of tendencies related to the instrumental theatre and those of the new simplicity. To achieve this, the composer employs various techniques of modern composition, such as modal and serial, mixing them with the patterns of repetitive development. Lately, he became interested in the method of re-composition, reworking of certain historically and stylistically recognizable musical material by using techniques 'alien' to its nature. Antanas Kučinskas also writes incidental music for theatre (to date, he wrote music for more than 20 stage productions) and cinema.
