Osvaldas Balakauskas

Osvaldas Balakauskas (born December 19 1937 in Miliunai) is a Lithuanian composer of classical music.

Career
Balakauskas graduated from the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute in 1961 and attended Boris Lyatoshinsky's composition class at Kiev Conservatory in 1969. From 1992 to 1994 he was ambassador of Lithuania. In 1996 he was awarded with the Lithuanian National Award, the highest artistic and cultural distinction in Lithuania. He is currently head of the Composition Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. His output consists of symphonies, concertos, chamber and instrumental music.

Music
Balakauskas has developed a unique and precise compositional system which he terms 'dodecatonic'. However, his music seldom sounds calculated but actually sounds neo-romantic, with occasional touches of jazz and impressionism. His influences from his Conservatory years include Stockhausen, Boulez, Xenakis and in particular, Webern and Messiaen. Important works include Sonata of the Mountains inspired by the paintings of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis(1975), Symphony No.2 (1979), Opera Stumentale (1987) and Symphonies no. 4 (1998) and No.5 (2001), the last two named works reflect a change in composition.

Works

Stage Works
Zodiac
Macbeth
La Lointaine

Orchestral Works
Symphonies
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2 (1979)
Symphony No. 3 Ostrobothnian, for strings
Symphony No. 4 (1998), recorded by Naxos (8.557605, 2005)
Symphony No. 5 (2001), recorded by Naxos (8.557605, 2005)
Opera Strumentale (1987)

Concertante Works
Piano Concertino
Oboe Concerto
Ludus Modorum, for cello and chamber orchestra
Concerto Brio, for violin and orchestra
Concerto RK, for violin and chamber orchestra
Sinfonia Concertante, for violin, piano, and orchestra
Sonata of the Mountains (1975), for piano and orchestra
Passio Strumentale, for string quartet and orchestra
Capriccio, for piano and orchestra

Vocal/Choral Works
Requiem in memoriam Stasys Lozoraitis (1995), recorded by Naxos (8.557604, 2004)