Modestas Pitrėnas (b.1974) started his music studies at the Vilnius conservatory, later continuing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, where from 1993 he studied choir conducting. In 1990 he founded a chamber choir Psalmos which became the winner of many international competitions and festivals. The choir successfully toured throughout Europe and the United States. In 1995 he went to the Mozarteum, a School of Music and Visual Arts in Salzburg, where he studied choir and opera conducting under prof. W. Hagen-Groll and K. Kamper, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree with honours in 1996.

   Since 1997 Modestas Pitrėnas has been studying symphonic and opera conducting under prof. J. Domarkas at the Lithuanian Academy of Music. He continued his training by attending courses held by masters such as J. Panula, E.P. Salonen, H. Rilling. In the recent years Modestas Pitrėnas has conducted many programs with the Lithuanian National Symphonic Orchestra, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra of Lithuanian Minor and Lithuanian State Orchestra. During the past few years conductor have been invited to make many projects to Germany with the Youth Symphony and Chamber Orchestras of the North Rhine Westphalia. For a different concert tours with them he visited many European countries and China. He has recorded 7 choral and orchestral music CD’s.

   Since 2000 he conduct Bizet's Carmen and Weill's Three-Penny-Opera in the State Opera house in Klaipėda. In 2003 conductor won First Prize, Gold medal and received Special Prize of Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra in 7th International Grzegorz Fitelberg Competition for symphony conducting in Katowice, Poland. Since 2004 Modestas    Pitrėnas teaches in Lithuanian Academy of Music conducting and have been invited to Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra as a conductor. He is constantly collaborating with some Philharmonic orchestras of Poland (Krakow, Katowice, Bydgoszcz). From the beginning of the year 2006 he has been appointed the Artistic Director and Chief-conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra.

  
   Bach Dances marks the conducting debut of Modestas Pitrėnas at the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera.

 

Photo: Archive