Virgilijus Noreika

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Virgilijus Kęstutis Noreika (born 22 September 1935, Šiauliai) is a Lithuanian tenor.

[edit] Career

Noreika graduated with honours degree from the Lithuanian State Conservatory in 1958. One year earlier he had been accepted at the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Lithuania. In 1959 Noreika sang Alfred's part in Verdi's "La Traviata", his favourite and one of the most frequently performed parts. He studied at the La Scala theatre in Milan in 1965-66. There he prepared six parts, of which Pinkerton's part from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" was performed on the world-known stage.

Maestro's creative biography comprises more than 40 parts: Cavarados from "Tosca" by Puccini, Faust from "Faust" by Gounod, Rudolf from "La Boheme" by Puccini, Otello from "Otello" by Verdi, et.al. The singer's voice sounded in Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, in Buenos Aires "Colon", in Opéra National de Paris, in Milan La Scala and other famous theatres. Noreika sang at more than 30 foreign theatres, participated in more than 1000 performances, gave about 600 solo concerts, recorded 20 records and a CD. 1997, celebrating his 40th anniversary on stage, the singer got the Kipras Award of the Opera Fellow Society. Noreika is a Professor at the Music Academy of Lithuania.