Biography

Viktoras Miniotas (b.1963) studied composition at the Petrozavodsk Branch of the Leningrad Conservatory with Prof. E. Patlaenko. After graduating in 1990, he taught music theory at the Art Institute in Krasnoyarsk (1992-94) and was chair of the Young Musicians' Association (1992-96).

He has participated in a number of international music festivals, including "New Art Territories" in Krasnoyarsk (1993), "Richard Wagner and the 20th Century" in St. Petersburg (1993), "Jauna muzika" in Vilnius (1998), 9 th and 11th Contemporary music festivals ‘’Gaida’’(Vilnius 1999, 2001), and 21th Contemporary music festival ‘’Moscow Autumn’’ (1999) . Among his most significant artistic achievements are the Krasnoyarsk Regional Prize (1994), Russian Presidential Scholarship (1996), Scholarship of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture (1997), award at the Chamber Music Competition of the Lithuanian Music Fund (1998), and the second prize at the Sergey Prokofiev International Composition Competition (1999).

Viktoras Miniotas found himself in the context of Lithuanian music in the middle of 1990s, when he moved with his family from Russia to Lithuania. The talented composer became quite actively involved in contemporary music festivals, wrote several new compositions basically on religious themes. In Miniotas' works one can feel particularly meticulous selection of the musical material sometimes approaching minimalist expression. Its meditative sound is often juxtaposed with an expressive manner of talking, which achieves a dramatic effect in culminations. At the present time the composer serves at the Russian Orthodox monastery and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius.

Principal works:

Symphony for choir and orchestra (1989), Symphony for piano and orchestra (1991),  Two Piano concertos (1987,1990), Violin Concerto (1991), “Concerdeon” for bajan and orchestra (1993), “ Variacions E.G.” for piano and orchestra (1998), “ Hymnologie III” for orchestra (1997), “Messa da camera” for bass, piano, harpsichord,accordion and double-bass (1998), “ Con amore”for tenor, celesta, vibraphone, harp, violin, viola and cello ( text from the Bible, 1998), Symphony for four strings” for cello solo, piano, harpsichord, harp, electro-guitar and percussions (2000),

Two strings quartets (1982,1984),  Four sonatas for piano (1984,1991,1994,2013), “ “Tikhotvorenije” for bass and bajan (v. by J. Brodsky, 1993), “ Diary of a Lonely Violin” (1997), “De profundis” for viola and ensemble (1999),  “ Variants” for cello and piano (2001),

Chants of the Orhodox Church in old-slavonic and Lithuanian (2004-2015), “Exlibris I” for organ (2006),  “Ektenion” for choir and ensemble (2007),  “Exlibris III” for two pianos (2013), the children‘s operas „ The Good Shepherd“, „The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats“, „The Hare‘s Hut“, „The Three Little Pigs“, „Thumbelina“ ( 2010-2015), vocal and animation movies music.