Karolina Juodelyte
Karolina Juodelytė, born in Vilnius in 1990, “is one of the leading concert organists, who possesses a mature artistic style with technical brilliance” (Axel Engels in “Westfälische Nachrichten”, 2019).
Karolina Juodelyte is in demand as a soloist and chamber music performer at national and international festivals in Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Russia, Italy, Croatia and the Czech Republic and has given masterclasses with renowned organists (G. Bovet, D. Roth, J. Tuma, H. Lucke, T. Jellema, D. Tagliente, S. Cherepanov, H. O. Ericsson, A. Frey, H. Vogel, L. van Doesselar and others).
She has performed with orchestras such as the Dresdner Philharmonie, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, ORSO-Philharmoniker, Bielefelder Philharmoniker, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Orchestergesellschaft Detmold, Magdeburger Philharmoniker, Kammerorchester Berliner Cappella, Kammersymphonie Berlin and Concertino Berlin.
Her CD (Odradek Records, 2018) with the recording of the Concerto for organ, violin and chamber orchestra by Lithuanian composer Julius Juzeliūnas together with the leading Lithuanian violinist Džeraldas Bidva, conductor Adrija Čepaitė and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra was shortlisted for the 2019 Grammy Awards.
In 2020 she recorded a CD “The Road to Silence” with contemporary Lithuanian organ music (MAMA Studios). She has recorded further CDs with the Lithuanian String Quartet (Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, 2013) and the opera singer Nora Petročenko (“MAMA Studios”, 2016).
She had her first encounter with music at the age of six when she entered the Ciurlionis Art School in Vilnius. Her first instrument was the piano. At the age of 12, she learned to play the organ with Vida Prekeryte. She initially studied organ (Prof. Gediminas Kviklys and Prof. Virginija Survilaitė) and musicology at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and, as part of various exchange programs, at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Prof. Roman Summereder) and at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Prof. Kari Jussila). She completed her master's degree and concert exam at the Detmold University of Music under Prof. Martin Sander. She also obtained a Bachelor's degree in Church Music there. In 2021, she completed her master's degree in church music at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Karolina Juodelyte won the International Ciurlionis Competition in Vilnius in 2011 and received six special prizes (best performance of works by M. K. Ciurlionis, best performance of the Fugue in B flat minor by M. K. Ciurlionis, most creative interpretation of contemporary music, most artistic performance, youngest finalist, opportunity to perform in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra). In 2012 she won third prize at the International L. Janacek Competition in Brno (Czech Republic). In 2014 she won a prize at the interpretation competition of the Alumni Association and the AStA of the Detmold University of Music. In the same year, she received a special prize for the best second round at the International Petr Eben Competition in Opava, Czech Republic. In 2015, she won 2nd place and a special prize for the best interpretation of a work by J. P. Sweelinck at the 9th International J. P. Sweelinck Organ Competition in Gdansk (Poland). In 2017, she was awarded 3rd place at the 1st International Organ Competition in Bialystok (Poland) and was a semi-finalist at the 8th International Organ Competition in Musashino-Tokyo (Japan). In 2019 she was a prizewinner at the 2nd International Organ Competition in Shanghai (China). In 2020 she was awarded 3rd place at the 8th International Franz Schmidt Organ Competition in Vienna (Austria).
Since 2017, she has played all world premieres of organ pieces by Lithuanian composers at the International Musicology Conference in Lithuania.
From 2018 to 2022 Karolina taught at the Vilnius University of Music and Drama.
In 2019, she participated in a music video by director Darius Abaris, which was shown with live music by the Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robertas Šervenikas during the event at the Lithuanian Opera Theater on the occasion of Lithuanian Independence Day. In the same year, she performed at the Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra together with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra conducted by Sergey Krylov. In 2012 and 2013, she was thanked by the President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, and the Chairwoman of the Lithuanian Seimas, Irena Degutiene. She has received scholarships from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the Detmold University of Music and the A. Toepfer Foundation (Concerto Music Scholarship).