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 organist, composer, pedagogue, choir conductor, musicologist, cultural figure, author of the first Lithuanian symphony.He attended primary school in Tver, and in 1905 he graduated from Palanga pro-gymnasium as an external student. Having learned to play the organ from Plungė organist N. Sasnauskas, a pupil of the Warsaw Music Institute, in 1908-1914. organist and director of choirs in Varniai, Viekšniai, Plunge and Tirkšlaii. 1910-1912 in the summers he went to Warsaw to M. Surzyriskis to learn to play the organ.At the outbreak of the First World War, he moved to Petersburg. Encouraged by the composer Česlov Sasnauskas in 1915. entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied organ with J. Handschin, composition with V. Calafatti, J. Vytuola (Vitols), A. Glazunov, M. Steinberg and A. Zhitomirskis, and aesthetics and music history with Karatigin. in 1918 graduated from high school as an external student, attended the Petersburg Institute of Archeology and Art History. While studying until 1918 taught music and led the choir of St. Catherine's high school.in 1919 after graduating from the conservatory with a diploma of a free artist, he briefly worked as a representative of the People's Commissariat of Education of Lithuania and Belarus, led workers' choirs, and ensured that the Russian authorities returned the cultural values that had been taken to Lithuania. 1919-1920 He taught music theory disciplines at the Vitebsk Conservatory, was a school music inspector and choir instructor, and received the scientific title of professor.1920 returned to Lithuania and, having settled in Kaunas, immediately joined the cultural and musical life of that time. He worked in the music section of the Society of Lithuanian Artists, took care of the establishment of the Opera Theater and the State Theater, taught at the acting studio of A. Sutkaus and organist courses, was the second conductor, music prompter, administrator and manager of the State Theater. 1922-1924 as the head of the Art Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, he prepared music programs for secondary schools, led summer courses for music teachers, contributed a lot to the 1924 of the 1st All-Lithuanian Song Festival in Kaunas. in 1923 had gone to the Latvian song festival to learn about the organizational issues of song festival preparation. Organized 32 symphonic music concerts in the Kaunas War Museum and the city garden.1924-1929 lived and worked in Klaipėda. He taught theoretical disciplines at the music school - conservatory, was the head of the student dormitory, deputy director, in 1927-1928. - the director, led schoolboy choirs, revived the symphony orchestra and planned its activities (conductor J. Gaubas). in 1927 1st Klaipėda Region Song Festival St. The men's choir of the conservatory sang at the mass - conducted by J. Žilevičius, organist Juozas Gaubas.in 1924 prepared the publication "Muzikos almanach" about Lithuanian choirs and choirmasters, edited the magazines "Muzikos menas" and "Muzika" (1924 and 1925), wrote the textbook "Young singer" (100 songs with the methodology of D. Andrulis, 1927), wrote a lot in the press, organized the collection of folklore and musical instruments - together with his students he collected about 300 different musical instruments.in 1929 The Ministry of Education of Lithuania sent J. Žilevičius to the USA to collect folklore material and other various music exhibits. Located in Elizabeth, NJ until 1961. organist and director of the choir of St. Peter and Paul Lithuanian parish, actively participated in the cultural life of American Lithuanians. He increased the parish choir to 65 participants, taught it complex works and performed many concerts, participated in song festivals and other national events.in 1934 To mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the parish, Elizabeth put on the performance "Kražiai skerdynes" with hymns and songs - about 100 performers participated. 1938-1941 with the parish choir and soloists performed by Th. Dubois' oratorio "The Seven Words of Christ". He also organized a small choir of New York area organists, whose first performance took place in 1936. March 20He contributed a lot to the organization of American Lithuanian song festivals. 1930 A joint choir of 500 participants took part in the song festival held at Carnegie Hall in New York, where Lithuanians from the eastern edge of America gathered (the festival was intended to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Vytautas the Great). 

J. Žilevičius was in 1930. head of regional song festivals in Bayonne, Newark, Elizabeth, Marianpol, Vilks Bar. the conductor As a soloist organist and choir conductor, he gave concerts at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, Symphony Hall and elsewhere. in 1932 founded the Union of American Lithuanian Parish Choirs and until 1952 was the leader of the song festivals of this union. the conductor in 1938 Conductor of the regional song festival held in Summit Park. in 1939 About 70 choirs and 3,000 singers participated in the Lithuanian Day of the New York World's Fair. J. Žilevičius was the general conductor of this celebration and conducted the joint choir. In the last 1952 J. Žilevičius participated in the New York and New Jersey County Lithuanian Choir Song Festival in Harrison, NJ with St. Peter and Paul parish choir. It was in 1956. Honorary conductor of the 1st US-Canada Lithuanian Song Festival in Chicago.

in 1961 settled in Chicago, was elected the honorary chairman of the organizing committee of the 2nd USA-Canada Lithuanian Song Festival of that year and in 1964 Member of the Lithuanian Day Repertoire Commission of the New York World's Fair.

Since 1932 Honorary member of ALRK Union of Organists, 1933. the Union of American Lithuanian Choirs was founded under his care. J. Žilevičius contributed to the establishment of the magazine "Muzikos žinios", he was a member of the editorial board for many years and the author of many articles. Having collected a lot of Lithuanian musical folklore and material from the history of Lithuanian musical culture (this work was started in Lithuania in 1920), he founded the Archive of Lithuanian Musicology in Chicago.

In 1935, J. Žilevičius was awarded for his great services to Lithuanian musical culture. awarded the Order of Gediminas III degree.