Born in 1982 in Vilnius, she studied composition at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Milan. She also participated in masterclasses with artists such as Bronius Kutavičius, Osvaldas Balakauskas, Helena Tulve, Luca Francesconi and Alessandro Solbiati. Her music is familiar to listeners in many countries of Europe and America. It has been performed by, among others, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Teatro La Fenice orchestra in Venice, Gothenburg Opera Orchestra, Orchestre de Flûtes Français in Paris, Sinfonietta Rīga, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble Bit20 (Bergen), Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Danish Radio Chamber Choir, and the saxophone quartets Quasar (Montreal) and Xasax (Paris). Her works are also present in the repertoires of musicians such as cellists Anton Lukoszevieze (UK) and Francesco Dillon (Italy). Janulytė has taken part in numerous festivals, such as the World New Music Days in Sweden (2009), Musikprotokoll im Steirischem Herbst in Graz (2009), Biennale in Venice (2008), and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (2008), not to mention the Lithuanian festivals Gaida (2005–07) and Jauna Muzika (2007, 2009). Her
White Music for 15 strings (2004) and
Textile for orchestra (2008) were awarded the titles of the best chamber and symphony compositions of the year by the Lithuanian Composers’ Union. In 2009 her
Aquarellewon the First Prize (in the under-30 category) at the UNESCO International Composers’ Rostrum in Paris.
The majority of Janulytė’s works are written for monochromatic ensembles with a uniform cast – e.g. 24 flutes, or 4 saxophones, or string orchestra etc., representing slow metamorphoses of textural, dynamic, timbral and ornamental gestures. While balancing between the aesthetics of minimalism and sonorism, she creates acoustic metaphors of optic ideas (
Silence of the Falling Snow,
Textile,
Aquarelle,
Elongation of Nights) and seeks to express the visual nature of musical phenomena, fusing sound and image in her compositions (
Breathing Music,
Eclipses,
Sandglasses).
Since 2006 Justė Janulytė has been teaching a course on contemporary music at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. She also writes reviews and articles on music. She lives and works in Vilnius and Milan.
www.janulyte.info
S e l e c t e d w o r k s:
Who has traced the abyss of July night…? for four flutes (2004),
White Music for 15 strings (2004),
Let’s Talk about Shadowsfor clarinet, violin and piano (2004),
Endings for saxophone quartet (2005),
Silence of the Falling Snow for two pianos (2006),
Breathing Music for string quartet and kinetic sculptures (2007),
Eclipses for violin, viola, cello, double bass, live electronics and soundproof glass installation (2007),
Aquarelle for choir (2007),
Textile for orchestra (2008),
Psalms for cello and electronics (2008),
Elongation of Nights for string orchestra (2009),
Sandglasses for four cellos, live electronics and multimedia (2010),
Labyrinths for alto flute, clarinet in B and string quartet (2010),
Pendulums for solo string quartet and orchestra or five string quartets (2011),
Observation of Clouds for choir and chamber orchestra (2012).
