Onutė Gražinytė & Edward King
Biography Onutė Gražinytė & Edward King
Onutė Gražinytė
Born into a musical family, Lithuanian pianist Onutė Gražinytė began her education at the age of five and was soon after admitted to the renowned National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts in Vilnius. She continued her education at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hanover, as well as the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin in the class of Prof. Kirill Gerstein.
The young artist can already look back on many performances in Lithuania as well as internationally, including invitations from Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Alicante Philharmonic Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and Orchestre National de Lyon.
In addition to her solo and orchestral projects, Onutė is also a distinguished and enthusiastic chamber musician.
Recent and upcoming highlights include her joining her sister, conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, on stage for Alexander Scriabin's piano concerto with Sinfonieorchester Basel, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with works by Mieczysław Weinberg and Vakhtang Kakhidze, Moravian Autumn Festival with the Kremerata Baltica and an invitation to the famous KlavierOlymp Bad Kissingen 2024.
In 2020, Onutė collaborated with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and released her first CD with works by Arvo Pärt titled Lamentate. The album received praise from foreign critics, including BBC Music Magazine, Pizzicato, Diapason d'or and Diapason d'or Arte. Arvo Pärt himself expressed his admiration for Onutė Gražinytė: "[She] is a pianist who, despite her young age, has already reached a remarkable musical maturity. I appreciate her musical sensitivity in performing my works."
This performance [...] is one of the best I have ever heard, delicately balancing on the tightrope of subtlety and power. (Gramophone Magazine, December 2020)
Prof. Edward King
German-based musician and pedagogue Edward King was appointed as Professor of Violoncello at the Leopold Mozart College of Music at the University of Augsburg in 2023. Originally hailing from New Zealand, he swiftly gained recognition in Europe due to his successes at the XI Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition and the International Cello Competition in Markneukichen. At the International Krzysztof Penderecki Cello Competition, he was honoured with a special prize by Penderecki himself for his exceptional interpretation of Penderecki's Divertimento.
In addition to his teaching activites, Edward enjoys a multifaceted performing career, collaborating with a wide array of ensembles across Europe and beyond. His repertoire is extensive, and he is particularly interested in projects that offer fresh perspectives on the classical canon. He is known for his versatility and passion for exploring various musical genres, ranging from early and contemporary, to world, chamber, electronic, improvised, rearranged, and recomposed music.
Edward is in high demand as jury and commission member: at the International Cello Competition in Markneukirchen, the Wallace International Cello Competition, and Kalaidos Musikhochschule, among others. He has regularly played as a principal cellist: in the Sydney Opera House, for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, or with 2021 Opus Klassik award-winners Ensemble Mini.
In addition to giving masterclasses internationally: in Augustów, Poland, at the University of Waikato, and the University of Augsburg, Edward has a passion for the development of young talents, and has supported various elementary educational and outreach programmes in cooperation with the Royal Overseas League (UK), the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Lithuania, and with indigenous communities in rural New Zealand.
Edward is a member of the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, as well as a founding member of hear now berlin, a sextet devoted to post-genre contemporary music. He also enjoys a particularly deep musical collaboration with his wife Onutė Gražinytė as part of the Gražinytė-King Duo. Edward plays on a modern German cello, made by Robert König in 2017.
Teachers: James Tennant, Prof. Julius Berger, Prof. Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt
