Imantas Jonas Marijus Šimkus, a doctoral student in art at the LMTA and MDW Conducting Department, is a young promising conductor who graduated from the symphonic conducting class of Prof. Juozas Domarkas. In his pursuit of a broader education, he also undertook studies in the humanities at Vilnius University and music pedagogy at LMTA.
He has taken part in various conducting master classes (Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, France). In 2018 he undertook an internship at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. From 2017, he has been invited to conduct at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Imantas Šimkus has assisted on the première performances of operas by Donizetti, Verdi, Šerkšnytė and Sodeika, and conducted for more than 20 educational performances for children. He has been invited to continue working for the 2020– 2021 and 2021–2022 seasons at the LNOBT. As a conductor, Imantas Šimkus is actively involved in cultural life, records the compositions of young Lithuanian composers and has performed with Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian State Wind Instrument Orchestra Trimitas, Vilnius City Municipality St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, Šiauliai State Chamber Choir Polifonija, Vilnius City Municipality Choir Jauna muzika, the LNOBT, as well as foreign music collectives: the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, Graz Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra (Austria) and the Hamburger Camerata (Germany). The conductor has also performed with the Riga State Chamber Choir Ave Sol. In 2017, he was invited by the Budapest MAV Symphony Orchestra to record a CD for Hungarian National Radio of Italian opera arias.
