Origin Jurmala, Latvian SSR Role Composer Occupation(s) composer, pianist Genres Classical music | Years active 1990s– Albums The Seasons Name Vestards Simkus | |
 | ||
Born 21 August 1984 (age 39) ( 1984-08-21 ) Similar People Reinis Sejans, Janis Sipkevics, Elina Garanca | ||
Vestards simkus stasta un improvize par muziku filmai ausma
Vestard Shimkus, (latvian Vestards Šimkus, born August 21, 1984 in Jūrmala), is a Latvian pianist, composer and improviser.
Contents
- Vestards simkus stasta un improvize par muziku filmai ausma
- Gunars simkus tas pukites shipsea vestards simkus
- Biography
- Selected Awards and Prizes
- Discography
- References
He has won several international and national awards, plays classical repertoire, composes music for cinema and theatre, and performs his own compositions and spontaneous improvisations.
Gunars simkus tas pukites shipsea vestards simkus
Biography
Vestard Shimkus was born on August 21, 1984 in Jūrmala, Latvia. His mother Iveta Šimkus is a published poet and a teacher of literature. His father Gunārs Šimkus used to be an art-rock musician who was active in the 1960s and 1970s and founded the first rock band named "Katedrāle" in Latvia. His sister, Aurelia Shimkus, is an accomplished pianist and recording artist. Shimkus started to play the piano in age of 5. From 1990 until 2002, he studied in Emīls Dārziņš Music School in Riga, where his teachers were Ruta Švinka, Ligita Muižarāja, Teofils Biķis and Sergejs Osokins. In 2002/2003, he studied at the University of Southern California under Daniel Pollack. From 2004 to 2006, he studied in Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid under Dimitri Bashkirov and Claudio Martinez Mehner. In 2006 to 2008, he studied at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium in Munich under Vadim Suchanov. Shimkus has also studied composition for five years under the renowned Latvian contemporary composer Pēteris Vasks. He performs improvised concerts, composes for cinema and takes part in experimental events with actors and performance artists.
In 2012, Shimkus married the opera singer Elīna Volkmane, now Elīna Shimkus (Elīna Šimkus)
International recognition came to Vestard Shimkus after his debut performances with BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Czech Philharmonic, KREMERata Baltica, NDR Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg.
He has also played chamber music with Borodin Quartet, Vertavo Quartet, Ciurlionis Quartet, Quatuor Leonis and others. As a solo pianist, he has performed in major concert halls around the world, including Konzerthaus (Vienna), Konzerthaus Berlin, Tokyo Opera City, Radio France (Paris), Berwaldhallen (Stockholm), Konserthuset (Stockholm), Moscow Conservatory, Palau de la Musica (Barcelona), Sala Verdi (Milano), and Oriental Art Center (Shanghai).
His repertoire ranges from Baroque Music to the contemporary music of the 21st century. He often plays recitals where classical works form a dialogue with the recent contemporary music, including his own compositions. He occasionally performs entirely improvised solo concerts inspired by jazz, contemporary classical music, film music, early music and folk music.
Shimkus has written two piano concertos and a number of solo piano and chamber music works, some of which have been published by Schott Verlag, as well as music for cinema and theatre.
Selected Awards and Prizes
Vestard Shimkus was decorated the Order of the White Star in 2005, and the Golden Order of Poland for an outstanding contribution to the concert series dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin in 2010.