Vytautas Pilibavičius – trombonist, composer.
Vytautas Pilibavičius (b. 1961 in Šiauliai) graduated from Šiauliai Higher Music School and, in 1986, from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA), specializing in trombone and wind orchestra conducting. In 1993, he completed his composition studies, and in 1995 – a postgraduate assistantship-internship at the same institution. In 1997, he studied at the Cologne Conservatory. Between 1982–1996, he taught at B. Dvarionas Music School’s jazz department and performed in various ensembles led by V. Čekasin.
In 1993, he participated in the international Kiev Contemporary Jazz Festival, where he became a laureate. This award brought him international recognition and led the renowned British contemporary music label Leo Records to release his album “Frontiers” in 1995. That same year, encouraged by Professor Julius Juzeliūnas, he began to establish himself as a performer and composer of contemporary music. He founded the contemporary music ensemble “Ex tempore”, with which he performed his own and Lithuanian composers’ contemporary music both in Lithuania and abroad. He also performed with Šarūnas Nakas’ contemporary music ensemble.
Lithuanian composers such as O. Balakauskas, A. Martinaitis, V. Laurušas, Š. Nakas, S. Dikčiūtė, R. Merkelys, and others have written works specifically for him as a trombonist.
With his initiative, the collection of Lithuanian contemporary composers’ works “Lithuanian Art Music” was released on CD. Together with pianist Daniel Kramer, he recorded and released the jazz projects “Solo Duo Trio” and “Sing, Sing, Sing” in 1995, which were successfully presented at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and at other international jazz festivals.
In 1996, along with trumpeter Markus Stockhausen, pianist Petras Geniušas, and chamber choir “Aidija”, he recorded the CD “3 Premieres”, featuring works by O. Balakauskas, B. Kutavičius, and R. Merkelys.
From 2008 to 2011, he led the Šiauliai City Wind Orchestra. He has been a lecturer at the conservatories of Vilnius and Šiauliai, and at Šiauliai University. He was a member of the London Bridge Ensemble, the Moscow Composers Orchestra, and the leader of the Rūdiškės Brass Band. Under his leadership, both the Šiauliai City Wind Orchestra and the Rūdiškės Brass Band became prize winners in D and E categories at international wind orchestra championships in Panevėžys, performing works by leading European contemporary composers as well as his own.
Since 2011, he has been a member of the Representative Wind Orchestra of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania. He is the initiator, participant, composer, and arranger of various jazz, contemporary, and sacred music projects, and has performed with artists such as Asmik Grigorian, Vladimir Tarasov, Lithuanian Art Orchestra, Marco Badini, Daniel Kramer, Vladimir Miller, Sainkho Namtchylak, Markus Stockhausen, Itamar Borochov, and others.
Vytautas Pilibavičius actively composes and arranges works for wind ensembles and orchestras.
At the 2018 Lithuanian Song Festival “Vardan tos” during the wind orchestra concert “Vario audra” (Brass Storm), his composition “Trombonų Funky” was performed by 40 trombonists.
In 2016, he founded the Lithuanian Trombone Project. Since 2018, together with ethnomusicologist and folk singer Loreta Sungailienė, they prepared a program of Lithuanian folk song arrangements and original compositions, performing concerts both in Lithuania and abroad. In September 2018, they successfully appeared at international jazz festivals in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, and elsewhere.
The program “Lithuanian Trombone Project and Loreta Sungailienė” features original compositions by Vytautas Pilibavičius and his arrangements of Lithuanian folk songs — calendar, work, family, and war songs from various regions of Lithuania. The works combine the sensitive poetry of folk songs, winding melodies, and modern jazz and contemporary harmonies, blending authentic folk singing with masterful jazz and contemporary music interpretations.
Vytautas Pilibavičius:
“The project’s compositions are diverse in style and mood — a synthesis of folk, jazz, and contemporary music.”
He is also the initiator of the LAV-Trio, performing together with kanklės player Aistė Bružaitė and folk vocalist Loreta Sungailienė. He has created Folk Jazz programs for the wind orchestras “Trimitas” and “VRM Orchestra”, as well as a program for “VRM Orchestra” with folk singer Rasa Serra, incorporating electronics.
Vytautas Pilibavičius also composes for symphony orchestra, strings, and writes songs for various pop and contemporary music performers.
His work is characterized by a strong connection to Lithuanian folk music, combining it with modern means of expression. He arranges and develops Lithuanian folk songs and instrumental pieces using contemporary compositional techniques.
