The LNOBT opera internship program has been running since 2013. Young soloists, selected through auditions, have the opportunity to work with the best vocal teachers – Prof. Sigute Stonyte and Prof. Vladimir Prudnikov – throughout the season. They also gain stage experience by participating in theater rehearsals and performances, learning from renowned Lithuanian and foreign opera soloists, directors, and conductors.
At the end of the theater season, future opera stars invite the audience to the final concert of the interns’ program. This spring is no exception, but it will sound French: the concert of the three season interns is united by the theme of French music. Along with the young opera soloists, the theater’s concertmaster Artur Shutov and cellist Ignė Pikalavičiūtė will participate in the concert “French Spring”.
G. Kušleikaitė’s debut at the ball
Mezzo-soprano Gabija Kušleikaitė is the only one of the three interns for whom this season was the first at the theater. She will continue her internship at LNOBT next season.
“The first year at the theater was very curious because everything was new. Although I started singing in the children’s opera ‘Alice in Wonderland’ while still a student at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, I did not know the theater ‘kitchen,’ so it was interesting to see how everything works. The impressions are really great,” says the young singer.
After studying at LMTA, where she completed her master’s degree under Prof. Asta Krikščiūnaitė, the young woman allowed herself a year to think about whether she really wanted to pursue a career as an opera soloist. Having decided, she moved forward and does not regret it. Besides “Alice in Wonderland,” where she plays the Cat and the Queen of Hearts, G. Kušleikaitė managed to debut last winter as Flora in the opera “Traviata”.
“This role is interesting because it is often performed by sopranos in theaters, although the composer Giuseppe Verdi assigned it to a mezzo-soprano. Debuting on the golden shining ball scene of LNOBT’s ‘Traviata’ was truly impressive!” – rejoices G. Kušleikaitė, who will play the role of Ipolita in the opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and participate in the world premiere of composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė’s opera “Inverted Reality” next season.
The mezzo-soprano’s internship plans include preparing the role of Suzuki from the opera “Madam Butterfly,” which might be presented on stage later. “This role could be a new step in my career. I felt it when I enthusiastically listened to all this season’s ‘Madam Butterfly’ performances at the theater,” the singer reveals.
Alongside other pieces, in the concert “French Spring,” we will hear her perform Dalila’s aria from Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson and Delilah”.
S. Vaičiūtė’s season is not over yet
Skirmantė Vaičiūtė, finishing her second year of internship, has probably already been noticed by LNOBT opera performance visitors. For this young mezzo-soprano, the season will not end with the “French Spring” concert, as on June 12 the theater will start performances of Giacomo Puccini’s opera triptych. S. Vaičiūtė will sing in all the Triptych operas: she will be seen as the sharp-tongued eccentric Nicklausse (“The Mantle”), the devout Sister Constance (“Sister Angelica”), and the relative chasing inheritance Ciesca (“Gianni Schicchi”).
“Since I had many debuts in the first year of the internship, this year there were many performances: I sang in the operas ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Traviata,’ and in zarzuela tours around Lithuania. I managed to debut in the role of Kate, Pinkerton’s wife, in the opera ‘Madam Butterfly.’ There were also concerts: for example, recently I sang with famous Lithuanian performers with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra performing Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Hymn of Praise’,” lists S. Vaičiūtė her achievements.
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In the concert “French Spring,” the soloist will perform two songs from Hector Berlioz’s cycle “Summer Nights” and Nicklausse’s aria from Jacques Offenbach’s opera “The Tales of Hoffmann”.
“H. Berlioz’s ‘Summer Nights’ is a vocal cycle of rising dramatic tension, in which the first two songs have a somewhat lighter mood, so I chose them. I already had Nicklausse’s aria in my repertoire because all the so-called ‘trouser roles’ suit me as a young lyric mezzo-soprano. Of course, this is just one aria from the huge Nicklausse part,” says S. Vaičiūtė.
M. T. Miškinis – opera fanatic
Baritone Mindaugas Tomas Miškinis, recently recognized as LNOBT’s Opera Hope of the Year, has become an inseparable part of the theater’s soloist troupe during his two years of internship: his name shines among performers in many repertory operas. The upcoming G. Puccini Triptych performances are no exception, where the baritone performs the role of the Hermit in “The Mantle” and Marco in the opera “Gianni Schicchi”.
The young singer has already had experience with French composers’ operas – he first appeared at LNOBT participating in the production of “The Tales of Hoffmann,” and recently debuted as Escamillo in Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen.” So French music is quite familiar to him.
“For the upcoming interns’ concert, I chose Maurice Ravel’s song cycle ‘Don Quichotte à Dulcinée.’ It is M. Ravel’s last completed work and one of the most striking chamber vocal cycles dedicated to baritone. It breathes maturity, sacredness, and ironic farewells to the world, but also a sincere confession of the joy of love. For me, as an opera soloist, performing a chamber music cycle will be stepping out of my comfort zone and trying to find new vocal colors,” says M. T. Miškinis.
The soloist is immensely grateful to the LNOBT internship program, which gave him the opportunity to take the first steps of his career not somewhere abroad, but in Vilnius, where he grew up. According to him, there were no obstacles to creative development here.
“Many new works at the theater await next season as well: I will participate in the premiere of ‘Inverted Reality,’ debut in the role of Bretigny in the opera ‘Manon,’ and as Vincent in Raminta Šerkšnytė’s opera ‘Five Mary Miracles.’ For the first time in my life, I will sing in a children’s opera!” – the baritone enthusiastically rejoices.
The baritone will also be heard next season in performances of “Don Giovanni,” “Traviata,” “The Tales of Hoffmann,” “Madam Butterfly,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“Opera is a natural part of my life. I not only sing in them – I listen to them and admire them; I am a true opera fanatic. It is my job, my hobby, my suffering, and pleasure at the same time,” summarizes Mindaugas.
