Judita Leitaitė (Mezzo-soprano)
Mezzo-soprano Judita Leitaitė is among the most exciting, creative, and widely recognized soloists of the National Philharmonic Society of Lithuania. Her concert career started when she was still a student. Success at international competitions – M.Glinka Vocal Competition in Baku (1987) and the International Vocal Competition in Finland in 1991 – prompted her further career.
After graduating from the Lithuanian Academy of Music with honors, Judita Leitaite began to work at the National Philharmonic Society of Lithuania.
Judita Leitaitė studied with renowned masters such as E.Schwarzkopf and T.Kraus (Germany), C.Bergonzi (Italy), and J.Goldberg (USA).
Judita Leitaitė performs regularly throughout her native Lithuania. She is on demand not only on the main concert stages, but also various radio and TV programs, schools, orphanages, churches, benefit concerts, as well, as jazz concerts and religious events.
In 1996 she participated in concerts for children-victims of Chernobyl as part of a Swedich program “Star of Hope”. In 1996 in Finland and in 1998 in Germany joined by pianist Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė Judita Leitaitė participated in the lectures on Lithuanian music culture presented by Prof. Vytautas Landsbergis.
She has made successful appearances in festivals such as "Wratislavia Cantans" (1995, Wroclaw, Poland); Artgenda (1996, Copenhagen, Denmark); "Baltic Music Fest" (1997, Norrtälje, Sweeden); the festival of contemporary music, Gaida (1998, Vilnius, Lithuania); Vilnius Festival' 99 (Lithuania); and "The International Festival of Jewish Music" (2000, London, UK). Her performance at the "Baltic Music Fest" in Sweden was a true sensation. Svenska Sanomat wrote: “The audience was charmed not only by the beauty of the voice of the fabulous vocalist Judita Leitaite, but also by her compelling musical rendering”. In 1997 she participated at the celebration at the Palace of the King of Sweden, “Music on the water” (1997, Stockholm, Sweden).
In 1998 she became the "Summer Star" of the "Newport Music Festival" in the USA. “The audience received the Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Judita Leitaitė with standing ovations”, wrote the Newport press. “The North American debut of the Lithuanian mezzo-soprano Judita Leitaite was greeted by thunderous ovations”, wrote the Newport festival newspaper "Newport This Week".
Judita Leitaitė has toured Scandinavia and the former Soviet Union, Germany, France, Holland, Poland, Israel, Great Britain, USA, and the South African Republic. Among Leitaite’s concert partners are the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius String Quartet, Čiurlionis String Quartet, and Lithuanian and international pianists and organists. She has studied and collaborated with renowned musicians – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Carlo Bergonzi, Tom Kraus, Jeffrey Goldberg; conductors such as Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Saulius Sondeckis, conducting Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Juozas Domarkas, and Leo Botstein (USA) conducting the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, and Caren Orbelian conducting the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. In 1997 she appeared as Jocasta in Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex in Klaipeda‘s Musical Theatre.
The music press has described Judita Leitaite as an exceptionally creative and productive musician. Constantly renewing her repertoire, she explores and introduces new and seldom performed music. Her concert programs feature works for voice and piano, voice and orchestra, and voice and string quartet - spanning from the Baroque epoch to opuses of contemporary composers. She has designed and performed programs of art songs: Lithuanian, Italian, Scandinavian, and Jewish. Also Russian romances, French chansons, as well as sacred music, and music of women composers (concert programs “Women composers”, “Musica sacra”, “Portraits of Famous Singers”, “Times of Marlen Dietrich”). She has taken part in performances of the Mass in b minor by J.S.Bach; “Judas Maccabeus” and the “Messiah” by Händel; “Samson and Dalila” by Saint –Säens; Kindertotenlieder by G.Mahler; “Carmen” by G.Bizet; "Phaedra" by B.Britten; and Requiem by O. Balakauskas. Judita Leitaite is rated as one of the most exciting and creative interpreters of Lithuanian contemporary music. She has premiered works by O. Balakauskas, V.Laurušas, A.Šenderovas and M.Urbaitis.
Judita Leitaitė has made over 200 recordings for Lithuanian and Finish Radio, and has released four CDs. In 1995 in Finland she recorded the CD “My Most Favorite Scandinavian Songs”, sung in original languages, which was praised by Scandinavian critics (with the participation of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Caren Orbelian, and pianist Marianna Slobodeniuk). Leitaite‘s second CD - “Lithuanian Art Music” - features works by V.Laurusas, O.Balakauskas, J.Juzeliunas, and B.Kutavicius. On a CD, “ Judita Leitaite Singing”, recorded with the Vilnius String Quartet and pianist Grazina Rucyte-Landsbergiene, she performs works by E.Chausson, F.Schubert, M.Ravel, J.Gruodis and, A.Senderovas. With Eduardas Kaniava and the Gintautas Abarius Jazz Trio she recorded an audio tape “Only for You” - excerpts from operettas. An audio tape, “I Would Like to Meet You Again”, was recorded with the Lithuanian Radio and Television Orchestra.
Her creativity regularly harvests new programs "Women composers", evenings of French, Russian, Jewish music, "Musica sacra", "Portraits of famous singers", "Times of Marlen Dietrich".
In 2015 Judita was awarded the plague of honour "Sarry Your Light and Believe" of the Ministry of Culture.
Lithuanian Composers
Osvaldas Balakauskas
Opera La lointaine
"Requiem in memoriam S.Lozoraitis"
Song cycle "Many Open Wels"
Konstancija Bundzaitė
"Three Threnodies" (J. Degutyte words)
Balys Dvarionas
"Star"
Juozas Gruodis
Ulijona (Lithuanian folk song)
Julius Juzeliūnas
"Melika"
Algirdas Klova
"3 chants "
Bronius Kutavičius
A Lamb’s Footprints
Vytautas Laurušas
Concerto grosso for voice, trombone and organ
Onutė Narbutaitė
Poem by V.Mykolaitis-Putinas
Galina Savinienė
Three Songs
Anatolijus Šenderovas
Two Songs of Shulamith with percussion ensemble
Der tiefe Brunnen with percussion ensemble
Four poems by S.Geda with string quartet
Opera and Ballet
Georges Bizet
Carmen
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Orfeo et Euridice / Orfeo
Imre Kalman
Mariza in operetta "Grafin Mariza"
Jules Massenet
Werther / Charlote
Camille Saint-Saens
Samson et Dalila / Dalila
Igor Stravinsky
Oedipus REX / Jikaste
Oratorios Cantatas Mass
Johann Sebastian Bach
Arias from Mass in B minor, BWV 232
Magnificat, BWV 243
Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Benjamin Britten
Dramatic cantata Phaedra op. 93
George Frideric Händel
Aria "Judas Maccabaeus", HG XX, HHA [i/24], from "Messiah", HHA i/17
Cantata with basso continuo O numi eterni La Lucrezia
Joseph Haydn
Cantata Arianna a Naxos, H XXVIb:2 No. 1
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Recitative and Aria from Oratorio Paulus
Aria from Oratorio Elias
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Motet Exsultate, jubilate, K165 in F major
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Stabat Mater
Alessandro Scarlatti
Stabat Mater
Antonio Vivaldi
Motet Invicti bellate
Gloria
Voice and Symphony Orchestra
Hector Berlioz
Les nuits d’ete, op. 7
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.4
Kindertotenlieder
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ch’io mi scordi di te, K505
Arias Sextus from Titus
Maurice Ravel
Sheherazade
Richard Strauss
Vier Lieder Op. 27
Voice and Strings
Samuel Barber
"Dover Beach", op. 3
Ernest Chausson
Chanson perpetuelle Op.37
Ildebrando Pizetti
Tre canzoni
Ottorino Respighi
Poema lirica Il tremonto
Franz Schubert
Salve Regina
Voice and Trio
Ludwig van Beethoven
"Four Scottish songs", WoO 156
Claude Debussy
Beau soir (P. Bourget), 1880
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Cantate da camera op. 2; Lontananza Dalsigre, ahi mia Dalsigre
Sergei Rachmaninov
Prokhodid vsyo / “All things pass by” op. 26
Ostrovok / "The isle" op. 14
Ne poi, krasavitsa, pri mne / "Sing not to me, beautiful maiden”, op. 4
U moyevo okna / “Before my Window” op. 26
Maurice Ravel
Chansons Madecasses
Georg Philipp Telemann
Cantata O weh, mein Canarienvogel ist tot
Voice and Piano
Hugo Alfven
"You are my peace“ / Du är stilla ro (E.Thiel)
"Sleeping forest" / Skogen sover (E.Thiel)
“I am waiting for you” / Jag längtar dig (E.Thiel)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Aria Bist du bei mir, BWV 508
Samuel Barber
"The Daisies", op. 2
"The Secrets of the Old", op. 13
"Sure on This Shining Night", op. 13
"Hermit Songs", op. 29
Johannes Brahms
"Four serious songs" / Vier ernste Gesange Op. 121
Gestillte Sehnsucht, op.91
Giulio Cacini
Ave Maria, Amarilli
Ernest Chausson
Le temps des lilas
Les papillons from Sept melodies op. 2
Hébé
Alexander Dargomyszski
Romance „I Still Love Him“ (text by I. Zhadovska)
Claude Debussy
Nuit d’etoiles (Banville), 1880
Mandoline (Verlaine), 1882
Noel des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons
Manuel de Falla
Siete canciones populares espanolas
Gabriel Fauré
Au bord de l’eau in C charp minor, op. 8/1
Chanson d’amour in F major, op. 27/1
Le papillon et la fleur in C major, op. 1/1
Apres un reve in C minor, op. 7/1
Valery Gavrilin
Vocal cycle “Pages of an Old Album”
George Gershwin
"Soon"
"The Man I Love", 1924
"It’s Wonderful"
Charles Gounod
Blessing
Repentir
Edvard Grieg
"I love thee” / Jag elsker dig (H.C.Andersen), op. 5, Hjertets
“With a waterlilly” / Med en Vandlilje (I.Paulsen) op. 25, Sex digte
“Season of roses” / Zur Rosenzeit (J.W.Goethe) op. 48, Sechs Lieder
“For you” / Du er den Unge Var (I.Paulsen)
Solveig lullaby and song from music to H.Ibsen’s drama “Peer Gynt”, Op. 23 No 18, 22 / Solvejgs Sang (H.Ibsen)
“Dream” op. 48 / Ein Traum (F.Bodenstedt), Sechs lieder
“Swan” Op. 25 No 2
“You as a Spring”, Op. 58 No. 3
F. Hollander
Lola (text by Robert Leibmann)
Charles Ives
Dreams No 42, 1897
There is a Lane, No. 46b, 1902
Yrjö Kilpinen
Kesäyo (V.A.Koskenniemi), Summer night
Rannalta (V.A.Koskenniemi), On the shore
Franz Lehar
Hanna's song from the operetta Die lustige Witwe
Frederick Loewe
Eliza's song from the musical My Fair Lady
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Arias from the opera Thésée and Alceste
Gustav Mahler
Songs from Vierzehn Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit
Oskar Merikanto
Ave Maria
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Als Luise for voice and piano, KV 520
Cherubino's arietta from the opera Le nozze di Figaro, KV 492
Carl Nielsen
Solnedgang (J.P.Jacobsen), "Sunrise", from "Five songs" op. 4
Saenk kun dit hoved, du blomst (J.Jørgensen) / "Lulaby" from "Strophic songs" op. 21
Jacques Offenbach
La Périchole's song from the opera La Périchole
Johann Pachelbel
Ciaccona in F minor
Francis Poulenc
Fiancailles pour rire, 1939: Fleurs, Violon
Cé doux petit visage , 1939
Les chemins de l’amour, 1940
Song cycle Le travail du peintre, 1956
Henry Purcell
Music For a While
Arias from the opera Dido and Aeneas, Z 626
Arias from the opera "The Fairy Queen”, Z 629
Sergei Rachmaninov
Song cycle La regata Veneziana
Maurice Ravel
Nicolette
Vocalise-etude en forme de Habanera
Deux mélodies hébraiques
Chants populaires, 1910
Ottorino Respighi
Nebbie
Nevicata
Notte
Pioggia
Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov
“On Georgian Hills”
“The Cloud are Thinning Out”
“It is not the Wind Blowing from the Hills”
“Nymph”
Gioachino Rossini
Tarantella Napoletana
Song cycle La regata Veneziana
Franz Schubert
Barcarolle
Die Forelle, D 550
Du bist die Ruh, D 776
Ständchen, D 920
Ave Maria
An die Musik, D 547
Der Tod und das Mädchen, D 531
Der Zwerg
Die junge Nonne, D 828
Norbert Schultze
Lili Marleen (Lithuanian text by Ramutė Skučaitė)
Robert Schumann
Frauenliebe und Leben Op.42
Jean Sibelius
Demanten på marssnön (J.J.Weck) / Diamonds in the snow op. 36 from "Six songs", 1899
Säf, säf, susa (G.Fröding) / "Blow, wind blow"
Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte (J.L.Runeberg) / "The Girl Returned from the Forest“ op. 37 No. 5, 1901, from "Five songs"
“Black Roses”, op. 36 No. 1
Richard Strauss
Zueignung
Befreit
Igor Stravinsky
Pribaoutki
P. Viardot-Garcia
Chant d'mour
Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin
Pastorales
C. Zeller
Marie's song from the operetta Der Vogelhändler
Sacred Music
Maxwell Davies
Missa super
Cesar Franck
Panis Angelicus op. 12
George Frideric Händel
Dixit Dominus in G minor, HG XXXViii, 53, HHA iii/1
Giuseppe Verdi
Ave Maria
Antonio Vivaldi
Motet Longue mala umbrae terrores
Motet Invicti bellate
