Sigutė Stonytė

Sigutė Stonytė
Born	1955
Nationality	Lithuanian
Education	Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
Occupation	Opera singer (soprano), voice teacher
Years active	1985–present

Sigutė Stonytė (born 1955) is a Lithuanian soprano and professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Biography

In 1982, she graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Prof. Zenonas Paulauskas class). After graduation, she studied with teacher of vocal performance Joana Kepenienė. In 1985, she played her debut role of Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since then she sings all the major soprano roles, particularly in the repertoire of a dramatic soprano.

Beside her career as an opera singer, Stonytė often sings soprano parts in oratorios and masses (around 30 works ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Benjamin Britten) and in chamber music pieces (A Woman's Love and Life by Robert Schumann, Rückert-Lieder by Gustav Mahler, and others). Stonytė participated in numerous tours of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, including in Italy, Finland (Savonlinna Opera Festival), Poland (Wratislavia Cantans), Germany, the Netherlands (Holland Festival), England. She has worked with the Latvian National Opera, Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago, Estonia Theatre. The soloist has performed throughout Europe as well as in the United States and Japan.

Since 1992, Stonytė teaches vocal performance at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 2010, she became a professor and is currently the chair of the Vocal Performance Department at the Academy. She has been a jury member of many national and international vocal competitions.

Stonytė is married to a Lithuanian pianist Jurgis Karnavičius.

Opera roles

• Tatyana in Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
• Violetta in La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
• Lady Macbeth in Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi
• Abigaile in Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi
• Leonora in Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
• Aida in Aida by Giuseppe Verdi
• Ramunė in Gražina by Jurgis Karnavičius
• Marguerite in Faust by Charles Gounod
• Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Fanny in La cambiale di matrimonio by Gioachino Rossini
• Elisabeth in Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner
• Marcellina in Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven
• Agathe in Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber
• Tosca in Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
• Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach
• Sister Angelica in Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini
• Liza in The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
• Senta The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner
• Amelia in Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi
• Liu in Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
• Leonora in La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi
• Salome in Salome by Richard Strauss
• Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Larina in Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
• Desdemona in Otello by Giuseppe Verdi
• Elvira in Ernani by Giuseppe Verdi

Prizes and awards

• 1984: won the International Competition for Singers in Riga
• 1991: won second prize at the International Marian Anderson Vocal Arts Competition in Maryland (the first prize was not awarded)
• 1996: won Christopher Prize of the Lithuanian Theatre Union for the role of Lady Macbeth
• 1999: won Kipras Prize of the Society of Lithuanian Opera Friends for the Singer of the Year
• 2000: awarded Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
• 2003: awarded special prize by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture for roles of Amelia in Un ballo in maschera and Zerlina in Don Giovanni
• 2004: awarded 4th class Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
• 2004: won the Lithuanian National Prize
• 2005: won Opera Beacon Award of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre for the Best Female Soloist of the Year for her roles of Leonora in La forza del destino and Senta in The Flying Dutchman
• 2011: won Golden Cross of the Stage Award of the Lithuanian Theatre Union for the role of Countess Rosina Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro
• 2011: won Opera Beacon Award of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre for the Best Female Soloist of the Year for her role of Desdemona in Otello directed by Eimuntas Nekrošius
• 2016: was bestowed the honorary Golden Cross of the Stage Award of the Lithuanian Theatre Union for Lifetime Achievements to Lithuanian theatre.