famous Lithuanian singer (tenor), created about 80 roles in operas, professor, member of the Society of Lithuanian Artists. The founding of the national opera is associated with K. Petrauskas.
Mother - Juozapota Rastenytė-Petrauskienė from Antagavė, father Jonas Petrauskas (participant in the 1863 uprising, organist in Palūšė). The elder brother Mikas Petrauskas is a famous composer.
K. Petrauskas got his initial knowledge of music from his father, later his brother Mikas taught him how to know the pipes and play the piano. At the age of nine, he played in an orchestra organized by his older brother, and later led the orchestra himself. Together with Mika, he moved to Obelius, where he learned to play the organ, sang in the church choir, and attended elementary school. From 1900 to 1904, he played the organ in Gervėčiai, Onuški, Švenčioni, Dusmeny. in 1905 during the revolution, he joined the movement against the Russian government: he gave speeches, distributed the resolutions of the Vilnius Great Seimas. For this, after the revolution was suppressed, he was imprisoned in Trakai prison. After being released from prison, he settled in Vilnius with his brother Mika. Here he helped his brother organize concerts and musical evenings, participated in the productions of the first Lithuanian operettas "Malūninkas ir kaminkretys" and "Adomas ir Ieva". in 1906 In the first Lithuanian opera "Birutė" produced in 2005, Kipras played the small part of Birutė's brother.
in 1907 K. Petrauskas joined the singing class of professor S. Gabel and the stage art class of professor O. Paleček at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. 1907-1908 participated in student performances, for which he was well-appreciated by the management of the conservatory and exempted from tuition fees. While studying, he participated in the concerts organized by the Russian pianist Professor A. Zilotis, sang in the concerts of Count Sheremetyev, in the choir of the Moscow Art Theater. 1908-1909 in Š. built by students He played the parts of Faust and Romeo in Gunn's operas "Faust", "Romeo and Juliet". During the holidays, K. Petrauskas together with the composer S. Šimkus organized concerts in Seinai, Kaunas, Riga.
in 1911 in spring, K. Petrauskas made his official debut at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater Š. Gunn's opera "Romeo and Juliet". In the same year, he became a soloist at the St. Petersburg Maria Theater. 1911-1920 He worked with famous stage partners F. Shaliapin, L. Sobinov, D. Smirnov, J. Jeršov, I. Alčevski, G. Baklanov, A. Neždanova, L. Lipkovskaja at the Marija Theater. With the help of F. Shaliapin, he prepared the roles of Faust, Salier, Almaviva, Dmitry and others. During nine years in this theater, K. Petrauskas prepared more than 40 parties. Since 1915 he was allowed to encore during performances. He was also actively involved in the activities of the Lithuanian community in Petersburg: he sang at concerts, musical evenings, and he usually allocated the collected funds to charitable purposes.
During the October Revolution, he sang for workers, soldiers, and students in the People's House Opera. He was elected honorary chairman of the Kronstadt Sailors' Council.
Brothers Kipras Petrauskas (left) and Mikas Petrauskas
1920 K. Petrauskas returned to Lithuania in August. Joined the Lithuanian army, visited combat units, performed concerts.
1920 together with the members of the Society of Lithuanian Artists founded the Lithuanian Opera Theater in Kaunas, which was called an opera theater in those days. Here in 1920 December 31 was built by J. Verdi's opera "Traviata" in Lithuanian. K. Petrauskas played the main role of Alfredo in it. In the first season, 25 performances were performed in the opera house. K. Petrauskas created such prominent roles as Hercog Dž. Vedi's opera "Rigoletto" (1921), Kanija - in R. Leonkavali's opera "Pajacai" (1922), Don José Ž. Bizet in the opera "Carmen" (1924), Turidu in P. Mascagno's opera "The Country's Honor" (1925), Romeo - Š. Gunn's opera "Romeo and Juliet" (1925), Germana - P. Tchaikovsky's opera "Lady of Spades" (1927). Toured a lot: 1922-1923. USSR, 1923 together with A. Sodeika, he performed in Rome in 1931. sang in Stockholm, 1933 at the La Scala theater in Milan. 1930 and 1936 toured South America. He often sang on the stages of operas in Latvia and Estonia. 1925-1928 toured with F. Shaliapin: 1925 they sang in Leipzig, Munich, Dresden, 1928. Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and Rome. K. Petrauskas sang in the opera house until 1958, created about 80 roles in operas.
Although he saw the deportations as the destruction of the Lithuanian nation and thought that he would be deported himself, in 1948 On February 10, K. Petrauskas had a conflict with singer Antans Kučingi. Petrauskas shouted at Kučingi in the hearing of everyone around him, saying that he knows that Antanas Kučingi's son "is in league with Soviet enemies - underground people who call themselves LLA, and he (the father) hides anti-Soviet appeals in his apartment and supports his son's activities". After this conflict, A. Kučingis was arrested, the Special Council of the USSR at the NKVD sentenced him to 10 years in a labor camp. He was imprisoned in the camps of Mordovia, Kemerovo and Omsk region.
Since 1949 taught at the conservatory of the Slovak Republic, trained singers V. Noreika, L. Saulevičiūtė, V. Adamkevičius and others. August 2, 1950 K. Petrauskas was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, in 1951. a state prize was awarded, the title of professor was awarded. 1959-1963 was a deputy of the Supreme Council of the LTSR.
K. Petrauskas was actively involved in social activities: he was a member of the "Rotary" club and, between the wars, the Riflemen's Union, a member of the Lithuanian Auto Club, for some time a member of the board of the LFLS center, he belonged to the fishing and hunting society. He won the title of Baltic champion in the shooting competition.
K. Petrauskas died in 1968. January 17 Buried in Vilnius in the Rasa cemetery.
