About me
I am professional singer, a mezzo-soprano, and music teacher from Lithuania. I came to Weymouth in 2004, after teaching at the Panevezys Conservatoire in my home country for 26 years.
Biography
As a vocalist and a soloist with the town Municipality choir ‘Muzika’ I travelled the world giving concerts and participating in Singing Competitions including the famous Chamber Choir Contest in Japan, Takarazuka City, where ‘Muzika’ represented choral creations by Lithuanian and European baroque composers and won golden medals and the Grand Prix award. I Also took part in other International Choir Contests and Musical festivals in Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Holland, Spain, South Africa, Israel, the USA and Norway.
Despite having music degrees from my own country I decided it would be a refreshing change to study in England. I arrived to Weymouth in 2004 and within two years I had attained a two years Music Media and Performance Foundation Degree studies through Bournemouth University at the Weymouth College. My teaching status was recognised by the General Teaching Council for England and I was awarded a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), also have been accepted into membership of the Institute for Learning at the grade of Member.
During the last four years, I have been involved in many diverse assignments and projects including solo items with various choirs singing at Wool, Dorchester, Eype and Weymouth; a teaching assignment in Portsmouth as a Russian music coach for Rachmaninov’s Vespers and Deputising as a Singing Teacher with Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools. An interesting performance and workshop was held at The Springhead Trust ‘Our Global Children’s Arts Festival’ in June 2007. Arranging a group of English singers to sing in Lithuanian and introducing children to traditional Lithuanian pipes ‘Skuduciai’ was no mean feat!
I have worked at Weymouth College as a choir leader and a singing teacher.
An international project set in June 2008 in Lithuania to perform John Rutter ‘Mass of the Children’ with one of the Lithuanian County’s Youth Symphony orchestra and a Children’s Choir. As a choir leader I made a fresh start with a new assembled choir ‘One Voice’ from Weymouth.
As well as singing classical pieces in many languages, including Italian, Latin and Russian, I love singing jazz, blues and pop music. I am also an accomplished piano player and give private piano tuition. So if anyone enjoys singing and playing piano then get in touch!
Singing Competitions
One Voice Choir Music Director
In 2007, Grazina saw a TV series revealing how a talented music director was able to take raw singers from a deprived community within Oxford and prepare them to ultimately sing as a choir in the Royal Albert Hall.
The Littlemoor community was the nearest that she could find that offered her the same challenge.
In 2008 'One Voice' choir was formed and so the miracle of transforming talent into a live and vibrant communication vehicle began.
Although, today, they are based away from Littlemoor, the choir has a firm foundation of over twenty five singers who have committed themselves to rehearsing and performing music that touches many hearts from many generations.
Visit choir website: onevoiceweymouth.com
