Joana Valentinaviciute
Born: Vilnius, Lithuania
Studied: I’ve studied in Lithuania, Sweden and the UK, as well as worked professionally most of the time alongside my studies in chamber orchestras (Lithuania), opera theatre (Sweden), large symphony (RPO in the UK).
Joined: 2023
Favourite piece of music: J.S.Bach violin solo Sonatas and Partitas. I find them very personal, you have to be absolutely honest to play it.
First ballet or concert you saw: I don’t really remember as I must have been very young. My mother used to take me with her when she was rehearsing or performing and I would sit in the concert hall. I remember how different from rehearsal the concert felt: lights, vibration in the air, the sound, even smell, all was magical, and of course seeing my own mother there was very special to me.
Why the violin? It never sounds the same, it enchants and challenges me at the same time.
Favourite ballet to play: Stravinsky’s Apollo. Every time it strikes me with its pure beauty, style and expression; I love the ‘dancing’ music line.
Most challenging piece you have played: Pierre Boulez's Anthèmes. It's an amazingly sophisticated composition with such a variety of textures and detail for solo violin (9 minutes), I feel incredibly busy playing and thinking, and there's no time to turn a page!
Most challenging non-musical thing you have done: Reasoning with my toddler.
Headshot. © The Finest Light.