Morta GrigaliŪnaitĖ

Pianist

Nothing scares the brilliant Morta Grigaliūnaitė

Nicolas Derny | Diapason magazine

With performances broadcast live in 40 countries through the classical music channel Mezzo, Lithuanian pianist Morta Grigaliūnaitė has established herself as an active soloist and chamber musician. Since the release of her debut album in 2019, she continues to receive outstanding reviews for her interpretation of piano works by Grażyna Bacewicz. Described by critics as “powerful and dramatic”, her recordings have been featured on BBC Radio 3, as well as Fanfare and Diapason magazines.

Morta first came to public attention in 2005, when she performed at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall in Vilnius at Mstislav Rostropovich’s invitation. Since then, she has appeared as a soloist with such orchestras as the National Lithuanian Symphony Orchestra, St. Christopher’s Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Georgian State Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra. Morta has performed with such distinguished artists as the renown violin pedagogue Zakhar Bron, former solo oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic Hansjörg Schellenberger and Valentin Erben, a founding member of the Alan Berg Quartet. She has given concerts in various venues including Berliner Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, St. John’s Smith Square, UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, National Gallery in London, Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria in Santander, Colston Hall in Bristol, Batumi Centre of Arts in Georgia, Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall in Baku and others.

Morta Grigaliūnaitė plays with a broad range of color and articulation and with a compelling depth of emotional engagement
Myron Silberstein | Fanfare Magazine

Born in 1991, Morta started playing the piano at the age of eight at Pasvalys Music School, where her first teacher was Lolita Trepekūnienė. After having met the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who encouraged her to pursue a career in music, she moved to Vilnius to study at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts with Jūratė Karosaitė. In 2008, Morta entered the Purcell School of Music in the United Kingdom, where she held a scholarship under the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme and studied piano with William Fong. Two years later, she was awarded a full scholarship to study with Hamish Milne at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After having graduated with a First Class degree, Morta continued her education with Claudio Martinez Mehner at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and Dmitri Bashkirov at Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Morta has been awarded the Mstislav Rostropovich Help and Support Foundation, Michel Sogny Foundation “SOS Talents”, Fundación Albéniz and Yamaha Pianos scholarships. She has won numerous prizes and awards such as 2nd prize in Karlrobert-Kreiten-Klavierwettbewerb, Sterndale Bennett Prize for the best Romantic music recital, 1st prize at the International EPTA Piano Competition in Belgium, 1st prize at the International Sigulda Music Competition in Latvia, Harry Isaacs Piano Trio Prize, Douglas Cameron Chamber Music Prize, special prize for the most artistic performance at the International M. K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition in Lithuania, as well as Dorothy Bryant, Frances Earle, Sydney Kenneth Brindle and Jean Ginsburg awards for outstanding studentship at the Royal Academy of Music in London.