Gintaras Sodeika (b. 1961)
Maranata for viola solo and strings

Gintaras Sodeika graduated from Julius Juzelinas’s composition class at the Lithuanian Academy of Music (1986). A member of artistic group Greek Leaf, he initiated three happening seminars AN-88, AN-89 and NI-90. Since 1990, he has worked the theatre of Oskaras Korsunovas, writing music to all its drama productions. He is interested in sound design, visual art presentation, writes theatre music. His works include a chamber opera Solitude for Two (2003), four string quartets, pieces for piano, choir and electroacoustic instruments. His works have been performed in Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Poland, Holland, the United Kingdom, USA and Canada. President of the Lithuanian Composers’ Association in 1999-2003, he now heads the Lithuanian Copyright Protection Association and the Electroacoustic Music Studio at the Lithuanian Academy of Music. In 2003, he served as Deputy Minister of Culture of Lithuania.
Maranata for viola solo and strings was written for specific performers: Yuri Bashmet and the Vilnius Festival Orchestra. The work was premiered by the newly-founded ensemble, during its first concert, in Vilnius in July 2003.