Biography
Mykolas Natalevičius (b. 1985) is a young Lithuanian composer active in various fields of music, from the acoustic instrumental music to the experimental electronics. His work involves composing, playing piano, singing and conducting. According to composer, music was not his initial field of creativity. He began his creative path in the fine arts, successfully participating in various art exhibitions and competitions, and started his music studies at the age of sixteen. He studied composition (with Prof. Vytautas Barkauskas and Ričardas Kabelis) at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, graduating in 2011. In 2010 Mykolas Natalevičius studied at the Danish Institute of Electronic Music with Henrik Munch, also attended singing class at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus with Ingrid Haking Raby. As a composer he attended masterclasses of Ivar Frounberg, Andrew McKenzie and others.
In 2015 he defended his doctoral thesis about composing drone music and works now as a lecturer at Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Kaunas University of Technology.
From 2017 he is chairman of Lithuanian Composers' Union and from 2019 he leads Baltic Contemporary Music Network, which seeks to formalise and boost cooperation between central institutions and actors in the field of contemporary art music of the Baltic States and develop a strong international cooperation and events on diverse levels and contexts.
Awards
2016 Prize for Orchestra Imagery at the Best Work of the Year Awards Lithuania
2014 First Prize and Audience Award at Choral Music Competition "Vox Juventutis"
2012 Young Artist Prize from Lithuanian Ministry of Culture
2011 Debut Prize at the Best Work of the Year Awards Lithuania
2010 Shared 1st prize at Live 2011 Grand Prix Finland
2009 Grand Prix at International Audiovisual Competition Waterpieces Latvia
2008 Prize for the Best Stage Work at the Best Work of the Year Awards Lithuania (together with fellow composers from "New Opera Action" festival)
2008 Award for music for drama at 9th International University Theatre Forum "Traces of Generation"
Releases
2015 Mykolas Natalevičius Urban Landscape (CD/DVD) Buy
2014 30 Moments of Druskomanija (4 CD box)/Lithuanian Composers Union
2012 Zoom In 9 (CD)/Music Information Centre Lithuania
2009 NOA. New Opera Action (3 CD box)/Vilnius - European Capital of CUlture 2009
Residencies
2015 - 2016 Curated residency project "Questioning Arts" (Iceland/Lithuania)
2015 DAR/MOKS artist in residency project (Lithuania/Estonia)
Singing
In 2008 - 2014 Mykolas Natalevičius attended singing lessons in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus (Denmark). His professors were Deividas Staponkus, Algirdas Janutas and Ingrid Haking Raby.
Natalevičius attended singing masterclasses of various singing experts, including Vladimiras Prudnikovas, Nena Brzakovic, Thomas E. Bauer. He performed at Great Parade of Musicians (Didysis muzikų paradas) (2016), international contemporary music festival "Druskomanija" (2014). From 2014 Natalevičius gives concerts with pianist Gabija Rimkutė.
As an ensemble singer he performed with ensemble of composers "Music is very important" (2009) and "NOA Vocal Ensemble" (2009).
Organ
2004 - 2011 Mykolas Natalevičius worked as an organist in The Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross (Vilnius) and Church of St. Casimiri. He attended pipe organ lessons in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Jarūnė Barkauskaitė class.
In 2012 - 2013 with fellow composers Tadas Dailyda, Lukrecija Petkutė and organist Karolina Juodelytė he organised project "Ambientorg", dedicated for connecting electronic ambient music with pipe organ sound. In 2013 this project was included in electronic music festival "Jauna muzika" program.
In 2015 with composer Tadas Dailyda he attended artist residency MOKS (Estonia). During the stay they gave a concert "Impossible Organ/Timeless Organ". Concert program included oldest known music for keyboard from Robertsbridge Codex and pieces by J. S. Bach, J. Alain and K. Gann. For that concert two arrangements of J. Adams "China Gates" and K. Jarrett "Hymn" were prepared and performed.
Another project with pipe organ was during curated residency project "Questioning Arts" (Iceland/Lithuania). During this residency Natalevičius composed electroacoustic piece "The Weather Changes Every Five Minutes", which he performed in Thingeyri (Iceland), Leliūnai and Anykščiai (Lithuania).
Organ improvisation during "Ambientorg" project rehearsal.
Conducting
Mykolas Natalevičius attended Gintaras Rinkevičius symphonic conducting class in Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He conducted his music, including three operas (2008, 2009, 2011) and also music of his colleagues.
Media Exposure
Selected TV/Radio interview
LRT "Naktinis ekspresas" TV interview (2015-02-12)
LRT "Visu garsu" TV interview (2015-01-29)
LRT "Durys atsidaro" TV interview (2013-04-15)
LRT Klasija "Muzikinis pastišas" radio interview (2017-04-07)
LRT Klasika "Ryto allegro" radio interview (2016-07-15)
LRT Klasika "Muzikinis pastišas" radio interview (2015-09-11)
LRT Klasika "Muzikinis pastišas" radio interview (2013-03-08)
Press
15min.lt. Rasa Murauskaitė. Kompozitoriaus teritorija: racionalios Mykolo Natalevičiaus kasdienybės slinktys (2017-11-11)
Giacomo di Tollo. Recensione del CD “Urban Landscape” di Mykolas Natalevicius (2017-06-27)
7 Meno Dienos. Goda Marija Gužauskaitė. Iš detalių sukurti visumą (2017-05-05)
Muzikos antena. Rasa Murauskaitė, Paulina Nalivaikaitė. Lietuviškieji tarptautinio elektroninės muzikos festivalio „Ahead“ atspalviai (2016-10-11)
Kultūros barai. Vita Gruodytė, Matthieu Guillot, Metų muzikos kūrinio autorius apdovanojamas už... (2016-09)
Muzikos antena. Rasa Murauskaitė, Paulina Nalivaikaitė. „Muzika erdvėje“ sugrįžo įpūsti gyvybės sostinės mikrorajonams (2016-09-14)
LTMKS. Goda Aksamitauskaitė. Ar garsas turi vaizdą? (2016-06-30)
Muzikos antena. Ignas Gudelevičius. Kompozitoriaus Mykolo Natalevičiaus kompaktinės plokštelės "Urban landscape" pristatymas (2016-04-20)
7 Meno Dienos. Eglė Gudžinskaitė. Garsai ir sprogimai (2015-11-13)
Lrytas.lt. Sofija Vytė. "Gaidos" finalas (1): santūru, bet gaivu (2015-11-02)
Kult.lt. Martynas Jurkevičius. Festivalio "Gaida" finalas kongresų rūmuose: nuo hardcore "Hakken" iki branduolinėmis atliekomis užteršto "Karačiajaus" (2015-11-02)
g-taskas.lt. Rūta Šiugždaitė. Aktuali "Gaida" - Terry Riley, London Sinfonietta ir radioaktyvus Karačiajus (2015-11-02)
Lietuvos rytas. Asta Andrikonytė. "Operomanija" išlaisvino patrakusią kūrėjų vaizduotę (2015-04-21)
Lietuvos muzikos informacijos centras. Gabija RImkutė. Mykolo Natalevičiaus kūrybinės inspiracijos: mirtis, katastrofos, religija (2015-06-26)
Muzikos antena. Živilė Stonytė. Pirmosios jaunųjų kūrėjų kompaktinės plokštelės (2015-06-03)
7 Meno Dienos. Monika Sokaitė. Festivalis "Jauna muzika": Ar pasiteisino meniu (2015-05-06)
7 Meno Dienos. Paulina Nalivaikaitė. Interpretacijos operos tema (2015-05-01)
Mediaforumas.lt. Goda Juocevičiūtė. M. Natalevičius: mano tikslas - inovuoti akademinės muzikos pasaulį (2015-04-28)
Dance.lt. Agnė Biliūnaitė. "Kūrybinis impulsas III" - sauja tuščių saldainių popieriukų (2014-07-04)
Muzikos antena. Rasa Murauskaitė. Sakrali balsų harmonija (2014-05-12)
DELFI. Aistė Pagirėnaitė. Olandų širdis palietė lietuviška muzika (2013-12-10)
Muzikos barai. Gerūta Griniųtė. "Vakaro meditacija". M. Natalevičiaus ir G. Rimkutės koncertas (2013-05)
7 Meno Dienos. Vaida Urbietytė - Urmonienė. Vis dar kupina eksperimentų ir ieškojimų (2013-05-31)
Literatūra ir menas. Rita Nomicaitė. Zoom In Nr. 9: eseistinė muzika? (2013-05-24)
Ruch Muziczny. Krzysztof Marciniak. Niemłoda Jauna / Jauna Muzika, Wilno, 2-7 kwietnia 2013 (2013-05)
Bernardinai.lt. Tautvydas Bajarkevičius. Klausymosi malonumai šių metų festivalyje "Jauna muzika" (2013-04-21)
Literatūra ir menas. Andrius Maslekovas. "Gaida 2012": tendencijos. Tęsinys (2012-11-30)
Literatūra ir menas. Vaida Urbietytė. Naujas kūrinys- garsovaizdžio kompozicija (2012-10-19)
Modus-radio.com. Asta Pakarklytė. Nelegalus projektas "Ambientorg": anapus žanrinių normatyvų (2012-07)
Literatūra ir menas. Emilija Visockaitė. Jauna muzika 2012: ką visa tai reiškia (2012-04-20)
Muzikos antena. Saulius Vasiliauskas. Iš ko susideda naujoji opera (2011-04-20)
Lithuanian Music Link No. 17. Asta Pakarklytė. New [Re]Generation of Lithuanian Contemporary Music (2009 October - 2010 March)
Bernardinai.lt. Vladas Dieninis. Trys klausimai jauniesiems kompozitoriams (2009-05-20)
Lietuvos rytas. Asta Andrikonytė. Nauja talentingų kūrėjų karta atranda operą (2009-04-07)
Choras.lt. Sonata Tamašauskaitė - Petkienė. „Žiemos šviesa“ - tai ugninis perliukas sniege. Jo gyvybės spinduliai tirpdo sniegą, jis spindi Tikrąja šviesa, nustelbdamas visus netikrus šio pasaulio blizgučius... (2008-12-15)
Literatūra ir menas. Gintarė Stankevičiūtė. Muzika - pasąmonės kalba (2008-05-16)
Literatūra ir menas. Asta Pakarklytė. Trumpametražių operų festivalis - sinchroninių bendradarbiavimų aplinka (2008-02-15)
Creative Education
Mykolas Natalevičius also is active in creative education field. More about this in section CREATIVITY.