This young generation pianist has already impressed audiences with his characteristic unbridled flight of fantasy, a sense of wide freedom, and a romantic worldview. During his performances, R. Valuntonis manages to ignite not just sympathy but huge enthusiastic admiration in the eyes of the listeners. Laima Slepkovaitė, a journalist and host of the radio show "Muzikinis pastišas" on LRT, praises him for his stage charisma. Rokas Valuntonis began playing piano at the age of 7 in the piano class of the Panevėžys Children's Music School under the guidance of Gražina Beleckienė. In 2008, he graduated from the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Arts under the guidance of Prof. Aleksandra Žvirblytė and continued his studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in the class of Prof. Aleksandra Žvirblytė. In 2011, he further developed his skills in the class of Prof. Eero Heinonen at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Rokas actively performs in Lithuania and abroad, and his talent is admired by a wide range of listeners. He has played in the largest concert halls in Lithuania, as well as in other countries such as Spain, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Japan, and Austria. He has played with the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the Panevėžys Chamber Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, the Lunds Symphony Orchestra, and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Juozas Domarkas, Lutz Köhler, Donatas Katkus, Olivier Grangean, Modestas Barkauskas, Roger Andersson, and Vidmantas Kapučinskis. Rokas is invited to international festivals in Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, and Japan. He has honed his skills in masterclasses with piano masters such as Jerome Lowenthal, Konstantin Papadakis, Denis Pascal, Petras Geniušas, Mūza Rubackytė, and others. Rokas Valuntonis has won the highest awards in more than 20 international piano competitions in Lithuania, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Germany. The latest and most important ones are: the first prize and a Bluthner grand piano at the "Nordic Piano Competition" in Malmö, Sweden (2010), the second prize at the International M.K. Čiurlionis Piano Competition in Vilnius, Lithuania (2011), and the first prize at the "Societa Umanitaria Music Competition" in Milan, Italy (2013). The pianist has been awarded the prestigious Queen Morta prize and has received thanks from the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus and President Dalia Grybauskaitė for his achievements in music.
