Vytautas Juozapaitis
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Vytautas Juozapaitis (1963-) is a Lithuanian baritone who has performed in many international venues.
After graduating from Kaunas' branch of Lithuanian Academy of Music in 1989, he debuted in the role of Freddie in My Fair Lady. He soon moved on to prominence, performing as Wolfram in Wagner’s Tannhäuser. In addition to working as a performer, he has been teaching vocal performance since 1996 at his alma mater, now the Academy of Music and Theatre.
Juozapaitis took first prize at the 1992 Competition of Lithuanian Vocalists. In 1993 he was awarded a diploma at the International Luciano Pavarotti Vocal Competition in Philadelphia; during the 1990s he participated in the European Centre for Opera and Vocal Art. He sang in Don Giovanni at the Czech National Opera Theatre in Prague, and toured with his company in Japan during 1994 and 1995.
The other roles in his repertoire include Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Baron and Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida, and the titular role in Verdi’s Rigoletto. He has sung in oratories such as Carmina Burana, Ein deutsches Requiem by Brahms, and War Requiem by Benjamin Britten.
Juozapaitis continues to perform in Lithuania and abroad: he has toured in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, India, Nepal, Norway, Poland, U.S., Spain, Russia, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Canada.
In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts in 2003.