Tomas Ambrozaitis
Tomas Ambrozaitis (b. 1979 in Klaipėda) began his training as choral conductor at the Stasys Šimkus Conservatory in his hometown and later pursued studies in choral conducting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (1997–2001) and Vilnius and Klaipėda University (now Klaipėda Faculty of the LAMT), from which he holds an MA (2001–3). In 2000 he went on exchange to the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy” in Leipzig and participated in the conducting master classes by the expert of Baroque music, Rinaldo Alessandrini, in Vilnius. He also holds the Licentiate of Arts (2007) and the Master’s degree in orchestral and opera conducting (2018) from the LAMT where he studied with Prof. Juozas Domarkas.
Since 2001, he has been teaching and leading various choirs and orchestras in Klaipėda, Kretinga, Plungė and Šiauliai. He taught conducting at the Šimkus Conservatory (2001–7) and currently holds a position of Associate Professor at the Klaipėda University Music Academy (now Klaipėda Faculty of the LAMT, since 2016). His other engagements included tenures as choirmaster of the Klaipėda Choir “Aukuras” (2003–9) and conductor of the Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra (2005–9). Since 2008, he has led the String Orchestra of the Eduardas Balsys Gymnasium of Arts and when this orchestra expanded to include students from the Šimkus Conservatory, in 2015, he became conductor of the Klaipėda Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Another important stage in his career is related to his activities as a choirmaster: he was artistic director and chief conductor of the Šiauliai State Chamber Choir “Polifonija” (2011–5, 2017–9) and since 2013, has held the same position with the Klaipėda Boys’ and Youth Choir “Gintarėlis”. With “Polifonija” he has recorded and released several CDs of Lithuanian music, including Lithuanian motets, Nijolė Sinkevičiūtė’s Oi, ant kalno and Donatas Zakaras’ Even if you rise as a star… He conducted both choirs in numerous collaborations with orchestras, as well as on tour in Germany, Austria, Latvia and Croatia. He has repeatedly acted as music director of song days at Lithuanian Song Festivals (2007, 2009, 2014) and artistic director of the Resurrexit International Easter Music Festival in Šiauliai. Since August 2022, he has been appointed Artistic Director of the Klaipėda Choir Aukuras.
In 2012 he made his debut at the Klaipėda State Music Theatre, conducting the jubilee concert of the celebrated Lithuanian tenor, Eduardas Kaniava, and was later invited to join the staff as conductor (2016) and chief conductor (2017). As music director he contributed to the KSMT’s productions of operas and operettas (including Puccini’s La bohème, Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Leoncavallo’s I pagliacci, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Giedrius Kuprevičius’ Prussians, Eduardas Balsys’ The Journey to Tilsit, Antanas Kučinskas’ Star Opera, Jacques Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers, Dvořák’s Rusalka, opera of stories Klaipėda, ballets (Adam’s Giselle and Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Stabat Mater) and conducted concert programmes.
For his merits to education and culture in the city of Klaipėda he was decorated with the Medal of Queen Louise (2017).
