Biography

Rūta Lipinaitytė studied at National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Studies in Lithuania she combined with the studies at the Malmö Academy of Music in Sweden (violin class of Prof. Alexander Fischer) and later – at the Paris conservatory of music and dance (violin class of Boris Garlitzky). In 2004 she earned Masters degree (Prof. Raimundas Katilius, Prof. Undinė Jagėlaitė violin classes).  In 2008 Rūta Lipinaitytė defended thesis on principles of chamber orchestra performance and was granted PhD degree by the Estonian Academy of  Music and Theater.

The violinist is the winner of several Lithuanian and international violin and chamber music competitions, Grand Prix winner of the International Competition for Young Musicians “Petar Konjovic” in Belgrade. She was the 3nd prize winner at the Jascha Heifetz International Competition and International Competition “Remember G. Enescu” in Bucharest, as well as the 2nd Prize at the First International Duo Competition of Sweden and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival’s Orchester Academy. In 1998 Rūta Lipinaitytė was awarded a scholarship of the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe.

As a soloist, she appeared with numerous orchestras including Dresden, Brno, Qatar Philharmonic, Croatian Radio and Television Symphony, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestras, Chamber Orchestra Kremerata Baltica, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, St. Christopher, Tallinn, Klaipėda, VDU, Šiauliai, Arkhangelsk, Accademia d’Archi Arrigoni Chamber Orchestras, Moscow Chamber orchestra “The Seasons”, etc.

In concerts R. Lipinaitytė collaborated with conductors T. Ambrozaitis, M. Barkauskas, J. Domarkas, M. Gertz, G. Guarino, J. Janulevičius, D. Katkus, S. Krimer, P. Mägi, A. Markovic, V. Onufrijev, M. Pitrėnas, S. Sondeckis, M. Staškus, R. Šervenikas, A. Šimelis, A. Vizgirda, K. L. Wilson.

The violinist has participated in various festivals, including festivals “Gaida”, “Permainų muzika”, “Thomas Mann festival”, “Vilnius festival”, “Muzikų paradas”, “Kuršių nerija”, “Pažaislio Music Festival” etc.

There are more than 30 audio recordings in Lithuanian radio funds which were recorded together with various Lithuanian orchestras. Between the recordings there are violin concertos by J. Achron, M. Rosza, S. Prokofjev, A. Martinaitis, A. Schnittke sonata for violin, cembalo and string orchestra, E. Balsys concerto for violin and piano “Dramatinės freskos”. Violinist released several CD’s: „Faustas Latėnas Samba Lacrimarum“, “Juozas Karosas The legent of the sea for violin and piano”, “Unexpected encounter in Paris, A. Chausson concerto for violin, piano and string quartet op. 21”. In the Great hall of the Lithuanian Philarmonic with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, a video recording of J. Corigliano “Red violin” concerto was made.

Rūta Lipinaitytė was a member of Grammy-winning orchestra Kremerata Baltica, established and headed by Gidon Kremer, since its foundation in 1998 till 2014. In 2004-2009 the violinist was a member of chamber ensemble “Kremerata Baltica sextet”, which took part in numerous festivals and performed concerts in Basel, Lockenhaus, Paris, Riga, Sigulda, Tallinn, Kuhmo, New York, Elba, Louisiana and elsewhere. Furthermore, Rūta Lipinaitytė performed chamber music in concert halls of various countries together with G. Kremer, T. Grindenko, M. Fedotova, A. Mustonen, A. Posch, P. Sadlo, F. El-Hage, M. Lohuaru, L. Leiten, S. Lasmann, S. Krimer, L. Geniušas, R. Beinaris, Čiurlionis string quartet. Since 1995 violinist is preparing chamber music programs with pianist Indrė Baikštytė. The duet is called “Domino Duo”.

The violinist is often invited to participate in various orchestral projects as a concertmaster or assistant concertmaster. In 2015 and 2017 Lipinaitytė was the guest concertmaster of the East-West Chamber Orchestra in the International J. Bashmet Festival, in 2015 she was the guest Ccncertmaster of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, in 2019 the violinist was invited to the tour with the Stuttgart SWR Symphony Orchestra as the assistant concertmeister and went to tour to Russia, Japan and Europe with MusicAeterna Symphony Orchestra (artistic director Teodor Currentzis). At the same year Rūta Lipinaitytė became the member of this orchestra.

In 2014, 2018 and 2020 Lipinaitytė was awarded the State Scholarships for Artists, in 2020 the violinist recieved the Golden Disc Award in the solo instrumentalist category.

Rūta Lipinaitytė‘s academic activity is associated with Estonian and Lithuanian Academies of Music and Theatre. Her pedagogical activity began in Tallinn as a violin class lecturer. Currently Lipinaitytė is the violin professor and since 2015 – the Head of String Department at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre as well as a teacher expert in M. K. Čiurlionis National School of Art. Rūta Lipinaitytė often gives violin master classes both in Lithuania and abroad. Among her students there are 24 prize winners of national and 15 prize winners of international violin competitions.

The academic activities of the violinist also include the management of various cultural development projects, the organization of concerts, master courses and competitions. Rūta Lipinaitytė is often invited as a member of the jury of various competitions, including the International J. Heifetz Violin Competition, the International Sigulda Competition for Young Musicians 2017, the Latvian String Competition 2018, the Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition, the Small Talents International Competition for Young Performers, R. Katilius Young Performers Competition, B. Dvarionas National Competition, J. Urba String Competition, etc.

Although the repertoire of Rūta Lipinaitytė is versatile and manifold, contemporary music stands in violinist’s favour:  she plays works by J. Achron, B. Britten, J. Corigliano, A. Schnittke, B. Martinu, A. Khachaturian, L. Desiatnikov, M. Rozsa, P. Plakidis etc. The violinist is a particularly active promoter of contemporary music by Lithuanian composers, the Lithuanian works have repeatedly been performed in both Lithuanian and foreign concert halls. The Youtube platform has a video cycle with Lithuanian music for violin solo. The pieces by V. Barkauskas, A. Šenderovas, Z. Bružaitė, J. Juozapaitis, E. Balsys, B. Kutavičius, J. Tamulionis, V. Sobieski, D. Digimas, G. Gelgotas, S. G. Sapiega, V. Germanavičius, Ž. Martinaitytė were recorded.