VILIMAS NORKŪNAS
Harpsichordist, organist, direction
November 9 Concert "The Origin Story of the Organ" at Leliūnai Church.
22 November Concert of organ music for St. Cecilia's Day, St. Saviour's Church, Vilnius.
December 7, 5 pm Julija's Andersson and harpsichords concert "Vilnius at the Intersection of Epochs III.": Contemporary Music. Sapiega Palace, Vilnius.
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Vilimas Norkūnas
Vilimas Norkūnas
Harpsichord
Organ
Seminars, education
Master classes
Educational concerts
Ensemble „Chiaroscuro“
Ensemble „Chiaroscuro“
Historical organ music
Historical keyboard instruments
Direction
Cross over projects
Early music concerts
Sacred music
Organ music with choirs
St. Johns gospel choir
Gospel music, keyboard
“Being able to work in several spheres enriches me and those I meet. I am enchanted by Early Music, by the singing sound of the harpsichord, by the majestic nobility of the organ, by the choir - the wonder of the singing that unites hearts and brings people together, by the fellowship of chamber music.”
On this page you can choose a biography profiled by subject, that reflects a specific profile.
Harpsichord
Vilimas Norkūnas graduated Early Music studies in Austria. Since he fell in love with the harpsichord, he can no longer imagine his life without the music of the Renaissance and Early Baroque and has been "immersing" himself in Early music since his return to Lithuania in 2012. From his concert activities to his educational work, he has become one of the key figures in the cultural life of Early Music in Lithuania.
Direction
Vilimas Norkūnas is proud to represent the "princely" Austrian choral school – he completed his master's studies in the conducting class of Prof. Johannes Prinz. The special features of this school are the warm and lively sound of the choir, natural pronunciation, historically oriented interpretation, focused, spacious music that touches the heart with its depth.
Organ
Vilimas Norkūnas is well known in Lithuania with this variety of performance skills – from solo recitals in Baroque music, to accompanying choral projects. In solo music he creates special aura with natural breathing and speaking of instrument. While accompanying, he melts sounds to one body with choir. When playing basso continuo, he uses both harpsichord and organ with equal regularity.
Workshops
Vilimas Norkūnas can easily find the language to conduct seminars for professionals, amateurs, adults and children. Whether it's a visual history of the origin of the psalms, the history of the organ, the fracture of Renaissance and Baroque music, or the distinctive features of playing the harpsichord, organ and other historical keyboard instruments.
Bio – organ
Here you can read my biography as a performer
according to the speciality you are most interested in:
Bio – organ
Vilimas Norkūnas is one of the few Lithuanian organists who is devoted to Early Music, and under his fingers the music speaks and breathes as if alive. Playing romantic music, he is able to create the impression that the instrument is capable of being more flexible than its physical properties allow. But he is equally fascinated by the challenges of accompanying choral music, where the organ has to be transformed into a colourful orchestra, e.g. in the case of the organ. In the church of St Francis in Klaipėda, he must be able to make music at an impressive distance from the choir.Vilimas is easily enchanted by the historic Baroque organs he has to play in concerts abroad or at summer academies. The instruments are like personalities talking to him and he to them. Meanwhile, when playing basso continuo on the organ or accompanying it, he seems to merge with the solo instruments, the vocals or the choir, but at the same time he leads and accompanies them, which is one of the most interesting aspects of this kind of music-making.V. Norkūnas has participated in the organ masterclasses of professors M. Sander (2006), L. Lohmann (2007), P. van Dijk (2008), M. Märkl, H. Vogel and R. Meyer (2010), M. Melcova and P. Planyavski (2011), L. Ghielmi (2013), T. Lindner (2016). Vilimas won the 1st prize at the 1st J.Žukas Competition for Young Organists in Vilnius in 2006.In 2002-2007 V.Norkūnas worked as an organist and choirmaster at the Missionary Monastery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Salzburg; in 2012-2014 V.Norkūnas was a teacher at the Kaunas School of Sacred Music, in 2014-2015 he taught organ at the Faculty of Arts of the Klaipėda University. Since 2015 he is the organist of St. Ignatius Church in Vilnius. Since 2017 he is a member of the National Association of Organists.His most memorable concerts include an organ recital at Salzburg Cathedral (2019), an organ solo concert with the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), a symphonic concert with the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (Austria), etc. In the summer of 2009, Vilimas toured with the Gustav Mahler International Youth Orchestra, with highlights at the BBC PROMS event at the Royal Albert Hall, London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the KKL Lucerne. Norkūnas collaborates with various ensembles and collectives. In recent years he has performed with the consort Brevis, the choir Jauna muzika, the choir Aukuras, and the Styrian Baroque Orchestra "Neue Hofkapelle Graz" (Austria).Vilimas Norkūnas enthusiastically conducts interpretation courses and workshops on church music, psalm singing and organ playing. In 2013, within the framework of the Cultural Development Project "The Polyfunctionality of the Performer in Musical, Cultural and Social Processes", Norkūnas gave masterclasses for Lithuanian church organists. In 2016, he led a children's meeting at the Gargždai festival "Festum organorum", and since 2018, together with the National Association of Organists, he has been conducting the "Let's Get to Know the King of the Instruments" children's meeting and organ concerts throughout Lithuania.
Here you can read my biography as a performer
according to the speciality you are most interested in:
Bio – Early music, harpsichord
Vilimas Norkūnas was one of the first Lithuanians to study the following historical instruments at the famous Mozarteum University in Salzburg (Austria) in 2002: organ, harpsichord, clavichord, harpsichord, harpsichord, and basso continuo. He studied Concert Organ and Sacred Music at the Mozarteum University in the class of Prof. Heribert Metzger. From 2008 he continued his studies at the Graz University of the Arts, where he obtained a Master's degree in Sacred Music and Organ in 2011 (in the organ class of Prof. Ulrich Walther), and a Master's degree in Choral Conducting in 2012 (in the class of Prof. Johannes Prinz). In 2014 he graduated from the Graz University of the Arts with a diploma with distinction in Early Music-Harpsichord in the class of Prof. Michael Hell.V. Norkūnas has performed with the Stirling Baroque Orchestra "Neue Hofkapelle Graz" (Austria), St. Christopher's Orchestra, Consort Brevis, concerts with the choirs "Jauna muzika", "Brevis", "Aukuras" and various ensembles. He has also given a number of concerts with baroque violin virtuoso Ula Kinder (USA) and baroque violinist Vera Otasek (Austria). Vilimas is a co-founder and member of the Lithuanian Early Music Ensemble Chiaroscuro and the international ensembles Cordaria and VIVE. These ensembles have performed several times at the International Banchetto Musicale Festival and the Mark Skakis Festival, and have toured Latvia at the Vivat Curlandia and Riga Early Music and Dance Festivals.V. Norkūnas with the vocal ensemble Ignis prepared the artistic programme Canones nonnulli at the international Marko Skakis Festival, toured Italy with this programme, and in February 2018 won the 1st prize at the Musica religiosa competition in Kaunas. Vilimas Norkūnas gives solo harpsichord and organ recitals. In 2018-9 he presented the harpsichord solo programme "Hortus musicus" in Lithuania and Latvia and in 2019 he toured Lithuania, Italy and Austria with the organ recital "Chroma".In 2016-17 he organised the St Casimir Early Music Educational Festivals at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and masterclasses. In 2018-19, he taught choral conducting at St. Casimir's Cathedral. In 2018-2018, he participated in the St. Gregory's Organists' Annual Course. Previously, he also taught at the Faculty of Arts in Klaipėda and worked as a teacher at the School of Sacred Music in Kaunas.Since 2015 he has been the artistic director of the annual Biržai Baroque Spring Festival. He conducts seminars on choral music, early music and sacred music in Lithuania and Austria. Vilimas Norkūnas has accumulated many years of experience in organising concerts, seminars, masterclasses and Early Music Festivals.
Here you can read my biography as a performer
according to the speciality you are most interested in:
Bio – direction
Vilimas Norkūnas is proud to represent the "princely" Austrian choral school - he completed his master's studies in the conducting class of Prof. Johannes Prinz. The special features of this school are the warm and lively sound of the choir, natural pronunciation, historically oriented interpretation, focused, spacious music that touches the heart with its depth.Vilimas N. have also mastered the technique of intensive positive rehearsal, in which imagery helps to achieve goals faster than technical language, and precision and perfection are pursued without emphasising the difficulties that lie ahead.Vilimas is currently working with the the mixed youth choir "Exaudi". With these enthusiastic and musical teenagers and adults, he has prepared a number of ambitious programmes, ranging from early music with the concerts "In dulci jubilo", which the choir performed with basso continuo (harpsichord) and violins, to classical choral masterpieces such as A. Bruckner's motets – a challenge for any ensemble. Also performing less frequently heard Lithuanian choral music such as Vasiliauskaitė's motets "In passione et morte Domini", mature romantic music and also contemporary music.Often Vilimas Norkūnas, when programming his concerts, chooses thematic titles to engage the audience in a deeper meaning. The sincere warm sound (which becomes the choir's vocal calling card) and the message of the text, such as one of the Christmas programmes, "Logos" (the word).In 2020, the score of Vilimas Norkūnas composition "Missa brevis Anima Christi" for mixed choir a cappella was released, together with Mass cycle by Kristina Vasiliauskaitė and other composers.In 2024, he lead 40th anniversary Goldegger Choral Seminar (Austria) for choirmusic and conducting.
Here you can read my biography as a performer
according to the speciality you are most interested in:
Bio – workshops
Vilimas Norkūnas can easily find the language to conduct seminars for professionals, amateurs, adults and children. Whether it's a visual history of the origin of the psalms, the history of the organ, the fracture of Renaissance and Baroque music, or the distinctive features of playing the harpsichord, organ and other historical keyboard instruments.He also provides music interpretation consultancy for professional performers on a wide range of instruments, such as violinists.Vilimas Norkūnas graduated in concert organ and sacred music (under Prof. Heribert Metzger) at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria. Since 2008 he has continued his studies at the Graz University of the Arts, where in 2011 he obtained a Master's degree in Sacred Music and Organ (in the class of Prof. Ulrich Walther), and in 2012 - a Master's degree in Choral Conducting (in the class of Prof. Johannes Prinz). In 2014 he completed his studies in harpsichord (with Prof. Michael Hell).Vilimas Norkūnas organises educational festivals and masterclasses, and is the artistic director of the annual International Early Music Festival "Baroque Spring" in Biržai. In 2015-17, Norkūnas worked as an educator at the National Museum at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, introducing young and old to early music at close quarters, organising the St Casimir Festival and early music courses (now the Cecilia Festival). He also taught at the Faculty of Arts in Klaipėda, the St. He also taught at the annual course for organists at St. Gregory's College in Klaipėda, worked as a teacher at the School of Sacred Music in Kaunas, and was the director of the mixed choirs "Exaudi" and "Giesmė". For more details about Vilimas's early music ensembles or conducting experience, see www.vilimas.lt biography under "Klavesin" and "Conducting".Vilimas Norkūnas has accumulated many years of experience in organising concerts, seminars, masterclasses and Early Music Festivals. Since 2015 he has been the co-organiser and artistic director of the annual Biržai Baroque Spring Educational Early Music Festival, curator and patron of young Early Music performers.V. Norkūnas taught conducting and organ at the Faculty of Arts of Klaipėda University. In 2013 and 2014 he gave courses on Lithuanian choral music from the Renaissance to contemporary music and taught conducting in Goldegg (Austria); in 2014 he presented Baltic choral music in Grace and St. In the same year he taught psalm history, chanting and interpretation in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda; from 2013 to 2022 Vilimas gave masterclasses on harpsichord and early music, as well as a course on Gregorian chant in Biržai. In the summer of 2022, he organised a Gregorian chant workshop for the choirs of Rokiškis district. In 2023 he will lead a workshop on Renaissance choral music.
History of the organ
History of keyboard instruments (from harpsichord to piano)
The development of choral music and the origin of the concept of the choir (concertists and ripienists, spezzati, multi-choir music, etc.)
Courses in Early Music interpretation (solo, chamber music, consulting on various instruments)
Gregorian chant courses (beginners and advanced)
Prehistory and performance practice of Psalms
Seminars in church music (liturgy, organ playing, genres and principles of composition, harmonisation, etc.)
Courses and seminars on music interpretation from different eras: Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, etc.
Choral music interpretation workshops, conducting courses
Vilimas Norkūnas, harpsichordist and organist, is a member of these Early Music Ensembles and a partner of their performers in Lithuania and Europe. He frequently collaborates with other foreign performers and composes concert programmes.
Chiaroscuro
Early music ensemble "Chiaroscuro", founded in 2014 in Vilnius (Lithuania);
Rūta Vox (Vosyliūtė) – soprano, Ieva Baublytė – flutes, Gothic harp, Saulius Lipčius – lute, Baroque guitar, Vilimas Norkūnas – harpsichord, organ;
International Early Music Festivals "Banchetto musicale", "Marco Scacchi", "Baroque Spring" in Biržai (Lithuania), "Vivat Curlandia" and "Riga Early Music and Dance Festival" (Latvia);
The ensemble has prepared a number of concert programmes, the most recent of which are the secular programme of Italian "Vilanelles", the sacred programmes "Canticum canticorum" (Latin hymn) and "Miracles" (hymns to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist).
Early music ensemble
www.chiaroscuro.lt
Cordaria
(Switzerland - Lithuania)
Cordaria International Early Music Ensemble, founded in 2018;
Katharina Haun – cornet, recorders Vilimas Norkūnas – harpsichord, organ and other members according to the content of the music programme;
Participant of the International Early Music Festivals Marco Scacchi, Baroque Spring (Lithuania);
The ensemble has prepared a number of concert programmes, including Finalmente Buonamente, A quattro canti, Gaudeamus omnes, Footsteps of Biagio Marini.
International Early music ensemble
Ignis
Vocal ensemble of early music Ignis, directed by Vilimas Norkūnas
2018 1st prize and audience prize in the international competition Musica religiosa
The ensemble has prepared a number of programmes, such as the six-part Renaissance polyphony a cappella Quem in coelo four-part programme Canones nonnulli with early music instruments. The ensemble toured Italy with this programme.
Vocal ensemble
Julija Ivanovaitė
A duet with the young and talented contemporary violinist Julija Ivanovaitė, a charismatic soloist and member of the renowned ensembles Duo Andersson and NIKO Orchestra;
Concert programmes with harpsichord, organ or piano;
2022-23 Baroque music tour "A Date with Music" with harpsichord and violin in Lithuania, the most remote elderly people's homes;
2022 presented concert programme for violin and organ.
* Violin & harpsichord / organ*
VIVE
(Switzerland - Lithuania)
Members of the International Early Music Ensemble VIVE: Indrė Kučinskaitė – the only Lithuanian cornetist, who studied Early Music at the famous Schola Cantorum in Basel (Switzerland);
Vojtech Jakl – Czech violinist, who plays a historical baroque instrument, performs as a soloist, with ensembles and baroque orchestras;
The ensemble is a participant of the International Early Music Festivals Marco Scacchi, Baroque Spring (Lithuania) and Vivat Curlandia (Latvia);
In 2022, the ensemble and Vilimas Norkūnas prepared a concert programme A Royal Reception for cornet, baroque violin and organ;
International Early music ensemble
Ūla Kinder (USA)
The only Lithuanian virtuoso of the Baroque violin, she studied Early Music at London's famous Royal Academy and Juilliard School (USA);
Participant of the International Early Music Festivals Marco Scacchi, Baroque Spring (Lithuania), Vivat Curlandia (Latvia);
Since 2014, she has worked with Vilimas Norkūnas on a number of concert programmes and together they perform music whenever Ula returns to Lithuania;
* Baroque violin & harpsichord / organ*
Media
Performing live is my strength. Although these examples do not represent the entirety of my work, I share one other moment from my musical life.
VIDEO
Ensemble „Chiaroscuro“
Sacred music programme Miracles. Early music ensemble Chiaroscuro.
Secular music programme Vilanelos. Chiaroscuro Early Music Ensemble.
Harpsichord
J. S. Bach Almanda from French Suite No.5, BWV 816. Live recording from Trakai Voke Manor, 2022.
Celestial Sonatas.
Live recording from the concert on 18 July 2020 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Birštonas.
Ieva Baublytė – recorders
Vilimas Norkūnas – harpsichord, basso continuo
A cappella
H. Finck – Ach herzig's Herz. Live recording from the concert at the National M. Mažvydas Library. Vocal ensemble Ignis. Artistic direction – Vilimas Norkūnas
Recordings
Omni die – 2022
Latin hymns to the Blessed Sacrament. Latin hymns to the Virgin Mary, from 19th century hymnbooks.
Vocal Quartet virtually – Vilimas Norkūnas
The album was funded by AGATA
You can listen at Spotify
The Face of Christ - 2018
A cycle of sacred music for mixed choir and organ, based on the thought of Ingac Loyola.
Composer – Vaclovas Augustinas
Mixed Chamber Choir – Exaudi
Conductor – Povilas Vanžodis
Organ – Vilimas Norkūnas
The album was financed by the LTKT.
AUDIO
Andrea Antico „Chi Non Crede“. Vilimas Norkūnas – harpsichord.
G. B. Fontana – Sonata seconda.
Vera Otasek – baroque violin
Vilimas Norkūnas – organ, basso continuo
You can find my other recordings on the platforms:
– Spotify
– Youtube
– Soundcloud
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Contact me
Vilimas Norkūnas
Military Ordinariate of Lithuania
Šv. Ignoto g. 6
LT-01144 Vilnius
Tel. Nr. +370 647 55 330
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Sponsorship
Do you want to contribute to the spreading of Early Music and the realisation of musical ideas? You can make a significant contribution by becoming a regular supporter – even with a small donation via the Contribee platform. Or maybe you just want to treat me to a cup of coffee?
Vilimas Norkunas
IBAN: LT72 7044 0002 0561 1839
BIC: CBVILT2X
Purpose field: Parama / Donation
#Early music
This support will cover the annual costs of insuring and maintaining the harpsichord.Feel free to contact me for more details.
