Julija Stupnianek (soprano)
Julija Stupnianek-Kalėdienė was born and matured in a musical environment. Music was constantly present at home. Her grandmother had a voice of rare beauty, and the young musician admits that she must have inherited hers’ from her grandmother. However, she thinks that her vocation for music is related to her grandfather Raimondas Stupnianek, an Austrian from Vienna. She took to music when she was a child. She sang at the kindergarten and then in the school choir. She studied choir conducting and vocal at the Vilnius Conservatoire (with Tamara Kornejeva). In 2001 she finished her postgraduate studies with Irena Augustienė at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 2003 Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre awarded her a practice-based PhD for her art project.
Concerts
While still at the Academy, Julija Stupnianek-Kalėdienė was actively participating in the musical life not only in Lithuania, but also abroad. She sung during the Polish Baroque Music Festival (1997), Usedom Music Festival (Germany, 2000), Baltic Music Festivals in Rostock (Germany) and Helsinki (2000), contemporary music festival Gaida in Vilnius (2000), Vilnius International Festival of Classical Music Pearls of the Silver Age (2001), Music Festival of Vilnius Russians (2002), Pažaislis and Returns (Sugrįžimai) Music Festivals.
She has performed in concert halls and churches in Italy, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Russia, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom where she introduced local audiences to the vocal culture of Lithuania.
The singer has been constantly participating in concert marathons: The Great Parade of Musicians, Atžalynas and Cantiamo.
In 2001 she gave a recital in the Hall of the Lithuanian Art Museum, and in 1999 and 2003, in Vilnius City Hall.
Stupniankek-Kalėdienė has given many concerts in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic: on 8 December 2000 she performed a motet by W. A. Mozart Exultate, jubilate (conductor Josef Wallnig, Austria); on 26 December 2001, during a concert of Christmas music, she performed the soprano part of Creation, the oratory by J. Haydn.
In 2001 during Gaida festival she performed a cantata by J. Juzeliūnas, Flowers’ Talk, in the Hall of the Russian Drama Theatre.
The singer has worked with many famous conductors: T. Voitechovski, Josef Wallnig, B. Ziberer, Manfred Honeck, S. Lano, Jonas Aleksa, Gintaras Rinkevičius, Martynas Staškus, Robertas Šervenikas and Donatas Katkus.
Julija Stupnianek represented Lithuania at the gala concert to celebrate the European Union in Slovenia, 2005.
The young soloist has been promoting serious music in Lithuania. Both alone and with the ensemble Trio voce (Julija, pianist and arranger Mantautas Krukauskas and her husband violinist Jonas Kalėda) she has been visiting various regions of the country promoting serious music, educating, with the purpose to interest the audience in periphery, particularly young people, in good music and attract them to concert halls. The trio has chosen an easily accessible programme: Ave Maria by J. S. Bach-Ch. Gounod, excerpts from The Sound of Music by G. Rodgers, Requiem and The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and other popular opuses. This initiative of the young soloist to sing and advance chamber music is particularly welcome.
The young vocalist’s recital at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic in 2005 received approval from the audience. The programme consisted of opuses rarely performed or never performed in Lithuania: eight songs from ‘The Spanish Gypsy Cycle’ by E. Wolf-Ferrari, six songs by G. Verdi and opuses by S. Prokofyev, S. Rakhmaninov and P. Tchaikovsky (accompanist Rūta Rudvalytė).
Music critics emphasise the soloist’s musicality and scenic appeal, wide vocal range and colourful as well as expressive phrasing of music.
Participation in Operas
The soloist debuted in 2000 as Violeta in G. Verdi’s opera Traviata at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre: she finished her postgraduate studies with this role. Other significant and complicated solo parts followed at the LNOBT: in 2002 Agatha (Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber). On 10 March the same year she was Prilepa of The Queen of Spades by P. Tchaikovsky. In May 2002 she was Francine in Vienna Blood by J. Strauss. In 2003 she prepared and performed the part of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart and Liu in G. Puccini’s opera Turandot. The same year she performed Julieta’s part in Romeo and Juliet by Ch. Gounod at the Kaunas Musical Theatre. In 2004 she sang in premieres of La Juive by F. Halévy (Eudoxie) and Dalia by B. Dvarionas (Dalia).
Julija Stupnianek-Kalėdienė is known to European audiences. In September 2002 she performed the part of Fiordiligi in W. A. Mozart’s opera Cosi fan Tutte (Ronne Theatre, Bornholm, Denmark). In January 2004 she appeared as Liu in G. Puccini’s opera Turandot at the Riga Opera (Latvia), and in October she appeared as Donna Anna in W. A. Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni at the same theatre. The musician has been working very intensively: she has created ten important roles in five years.
Professional Development
In August 1999 she attended master classes in Vienna held by Prof. Ingeborg Wamser. In July 2000 she studied with the famous Swedish baritone H. Hagegord (Sweden). Furthermore, in 2000 she participated in the interpretation of Russian romances course with G. Preobrazhenskaya.
Awards
Julija Stupnianek-Kalėdienė won the Third Prize at the International Josef Dichler Competition in 1999 (Vienna). She took the Third Prize at the International Vocal Competition in Moscos, Romansiada – 2000. In 2001 and 2002 she won the First Prize at the V. Jonuškaitė – Zaunienė Competition.
In 2003 the singer was awarded the title ‘The Hope of Opera of the Year’. In 2005 she won the Third Prize at the Vilnius International Competition for Accompanists and Singers; in 2005 she won Grand Prix at the International Vocal Competition 21st Century Art in Kiev. In 2006 she also won Grand Prix at the International Singing Competition in Lempaala (Finland).
Lithuanian Composers
Balys Dvarionas
”A Starlet”
Juozas Gruodis
Cornflowers
Poppies
Vytautas Laurušas
Three Romances
Five Sonnets (2012) for soprano and string orchestra
Teisutis Makačinas
Five Haiku, texts by different Japanese poets
Juozas Strolia
”Longing”
Jonas Tamulionis
Opera “The Tiny Lingonberry” (Tiny Lingonberry)
Chamber Works
Luigi Arditi
II Bacio
Johann Sebastian Bach
Aria from Cantata No. 208 „Arie der Pales”
Aria from Cantata No. 68 „Mein glaubliges Herze...”
Bach-Gounod
Ave Maria
Ludwig van Beethoven
Zärtliche Liebe (K.F. Herrosee) (Ich liebe dich) woo123
P. Bencini
”Tanto sospirero”
Alban Berg
”Die Nachtigall”
Georges Bizet
Micaela's aria from opera ”Carmen”
Giulio Caccini
Amarilli
Amor, che attendi
Antonio Caldara
”Sabben, crudele”
Giacomo Carissimi
Non posso vivere
Francesco Cilea
Adriana Lecouvreur aria from opera Adriana Lecouvreur
Alexander Dargomyzsky
Tï i vï (Tu et vous) (Pushkin), for 2 voices and piano
Potseluy (A Kiss) (Baratïnsky), 1850–51
Sergei Ivanovich Donaurov
”Waiting”
Mikhail Glinka
Elegy
Antonida's aria from opera “Ivan Susanin”
Ne iskushay menya bez nuzhdï / Do not tempt me needlessly
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Larisa's aria from opera Il trionfo di Clelia
Charles Gounod
Margarita's aria from opera „Faust”
Edvard Grieg
Dig elsker jeg! / I Love You, Dear op. 5
George Frideric Handel
Morgana's aria „Torna mia vaghegar” from opera „Alcina” HWV 34
Aria „Lascia chio Pianga” from opera „Rinaldo” HWV 7
Cleopatra's aria „Vadoro pupille” from opera Giulio Cesare
Aria „Amen, Alleluja”
Aria di Romilda from opera „Serse”
Aria di Almiro from opera Rinaldo
Antonio Lotti
Pur di cesti
Jules Massenet
Ouvre tes yeux bleus, ma mignonne
Sofi aria from opera ”Werther”
Manon aria from opera „Manon”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Duet „Se a caso madama” from opera „Le nozze di Figaro ”
Susanna's aria „Giunse al fin il momento” from opera „Le nozze di Figaro ”
Donna's Elvira's aria from opera „Don Giovanni"
Duet „Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen” from opera „Die Zauberflote” K.620
Pamina's aria „Ach, ich fuhl's” from opera „Die Zauberflote” K.620
Duet „Nun, liebes Weibchen, ziehst mit mir...”
Aria „Voi che sapete” from opera „Le nozze di Figaro ” K. 492
Aria „Batti, batti, o bel Masetto” from opera „Don Giovanni"
Duet „La ci darem la mano” from opera „Don Giovanni" K. 527
Duet „Pa-Pa-Pa” from opera „Die Zauberflote” K.620
Motet Exultate, jubilate K.165
Ridente la calma, song for voice & piano, K. 152
Laudate Dominum K.339
Aria Kome Scoglio from opera Cosi fan tutte
Concert aria ”Se tutti i mali miei”
Concert aria ”Ah, non laschiarmi, no”
Concert aria ”I belli imagini”
Zaide's aria from opera Zaide (Das Serail) K 344
Bastienne's aria "Ich geh’ jetzt auf die Weide…“, from the opera Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50–46b
Bastienne's aria "Würd ich auch…“, from the opera Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50–46b
Bastienne's aria "Er war mir sonst true und ergeben…“, from the opera Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50–46b
Bastienne's and Colas' duet "Auf den Rat, den ich gegeben…“, from the opera Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50–46b
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Aria ”Se tu m'ami”
Serpina's aria "Stizzoso, miostizzoso voi fate il borioso“ from opera La serva padrona
Serpina's aria "Donne, vaghe I studi nostril…“ from the opera La serva padronaSerpina and Uberto's duet "Per te io ho nel core…“ from the opera La serva padrona
Giacomo Puccini
Manon aria from opera ”Manon Lescaut ”
Doretta's aria from opera ”La Rondine”
Cio-Cio-San arias from opera ”Madama Butterfly”
Sergei Rachmaninov
Sing not to me, beautiful maiden from Op. 4, Six Songs
Gioachino Rossini
Rosina's cavatina "Una voce…“, from the opera Il barbieri di Siviglia
Rosina and Figaro's duet "Dunque io son…“, from the opera Il barbieri di Siviglia
Camille Saint-Saens
Violons dans le soir (Comtesse de Noailles)
Giuseppe Sarti
Aria from opera Giulio Sabino
Alessandro Scarlatti
”O cessate di piagarmi”
”Le Violette”
”Son tutta duolio”
Franz Schubert
Ave Maria D. 839
”Du bist die Ruh” D. 776
An die Musik, D 547
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D 965
Die Forelle D. 550
Robert Schumann
Intermezzo from Liederkreis op.77
Widmung from Myrthen op. 25
Richard Strauss
”Kling!” op. 48 Fünf Lieder, 1900
Giuseppe Torelli
Tu lo sai
Paolo Tosti
A'vucchella
Antonio Vivaldi
Aria „Domine Deus” from „Glorija”
Aria from opera „Bajazet”
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Pie Jesu from Requiem
Oratorios Cantatas Mass
Anton Dvorak
"Stabat Mater"
Joseph Haydn
"Die Schopfung"
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Requiem
Franz Schubert
Mass No.2 in G, D.167
Opera
Georges Bizet
“Carmen” (Mercedes)
Gaetano Donizetti
Rita (Rita)
“L’elisir d’amore” (Adina)
Balys Dvarionas
"Dalia" (Dalia)
Jacques Fromental Halevy
„La Juive" (Eudoxie)
Vytautas Klova
Opera “Pilėnai“ (Eglė)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
„Don Giovanni" (Donna Anna)
Cosi fan tutte (Fiordiligi)
“Le nozze di Figaro” (Marcellina)
Rachel Portman
The Little Prince (Water)
Giacomo Puccini
Turandot (Liu)
Johann Strauss
Wiener Blut (Franziska Cagliari)
Jonas Tamulionis
Opera “The Tiny Lingonberry” (Tiny Lingonberry)
Giuseppe Verdi
La Traviata (Violetta)
Un ballo in maschera (Amelia)
Richard Wagner
Valkyries (Gerhilde)
Carl Maria von Weber
Der Freischutz (Agathe)
Julija Stupnianek: Evening of chamber music
Gaetano Donizetti L'Elisir D'Amore (with Julija Stupnianek)
Vivaldi aria Vedro con mio diletto
Rachmaninov Zdes' chorosho
Reynaldo Hahn "À Chloris"
Gabriel Fauré Après un rêve
Jules Massenet „Ouvre tes yeux bleus"
Rachmaninov Ja zhdu tebia
Vivaldi Vieni, vieni
Concert at Vilnius Evangelical Lutheran Church, December 31, 2009
J.S. Bach and A. Vivaldi
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor for organ, BWV 582
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Concerto for oboe d'amore and strings in A major
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Two soprano arias: "Schafe können sicher weiden“ from the Cantata No. 208 Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 ("The Hunt Cantata"); "Et exsultavit spiritus meus“ from the Magnificat, BWV 243
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Symphony in G major, No. 3, RV 149
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Chorale "Jesu bleibet meine Freude“ from the Cantata No. 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Soprano aria "Siam navi all'onde algenti“ from the opera L'Olimpiade; motet In furore iustissimae irae for voice, strings and basso continuo in C minor, RV 626
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Concerto "in due cori“ for 4 flutes, 4 violins, 2 cellos, organ, strings and basso continuo in A major, RV 585
MUSICA HUMANA Ensemble
Artistic Director and Conductor Algirdas Vizgirda
CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF VILNIUS UNIVERSITY
Artistic Director and Conductor Paulius Bernardas Koncė
Soloists:
JULIJA STUPNIANEK (soprano)
JŪRATĖ LANDSBERGYTĖ (organ)
ROBERTAS BEINARIS (oboe)
Conductor ALGIRDAS VIZGIRDA
Concert at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, November 29, 2009
"The Venetian Genius, ANTONIO VIVALDI"
3rd programme
ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678–1741)
Concerto for two violins, strings and basso continuo in A minor
Concerto for flute, violin, oboe and harpsichord in G minor
Concerto for two flutes, strings and basso continuo
Gloria for soloists, choir and orchestra
MUSICA HUMANA Ensemble
Artistic Director and Conductor Algirdas Vizgirda
Šiauliai State Chamber Choir POLIFONIJA
Artistic Director and Conductor Gediminas Ramanauskas
Soloists:
JULIJA STUPNIANEK (soprano)
AISTĖ ŠIRVINSKAITĖ (soprano)
IRMA BAKŠEVIČIENĖ (violin)
ILONA GIRDŽIŪNAITĖ (violin)
Conductor ALGIRDAS VIZGIRDA
Concert in Museum of Applied Arts, 31 30 2008
CARL STAMITZ
Trio No. 1 in G major, Op. 14
GIOVANNI BATISTA PERGOLESI
Excerpts from the opera La serva padrona: Serpina's aria "Stizzoso, miostizzoso voi fate il borioso“,
Uberto's aria "Sempre nin contrasti con le si sta…“,
Serpina's aria "Donne, vaghe I studi nostril…“,
Serpina and Uberto's duet "Per te io ho nel core…“
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Excerpts from the opera Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50–46b: Intrada,
Bastienne's aria "Ich geh’ jetzt auf die Weide…“,
Colas' aria "Befraget mich ein zartes…“,
Bastienne's aria "Würd ich auch…“,
Colas' aria "Digi, dagi, schurry, murry…“,
Bastienne's aria "Er war mir sonst true und ergeben…“,
Bastienne's and Colas' duet "Auf den Rat, den ich gegeben…“
GIACCHINO ROSSINI
Excerpts from the opera Il barbieri di Siviglia: Overture,
Rosina's cavatina "Una voce…“,
Basilio's aria "La calunis e un venticello…“,
Rosina and Figaro's duet "Dunque io son…“
LEO KORCHIN
Musical parody Almost Mozart
VILNIAUS ARSENALAS Chamber Ensemble:
LAIMA ŠULSKUTĖ (flute)
ROLANDAS ROMOSLAUSKAS (viola)
SERGEJUS OKRUŠKO (harpsichord)
Soloists:
JUlIJA STUPNIANEK (soprano)
IGNAS MISIŪRA (bass-baritone)
Concert in the Museum of Applied Art, November 12 2006
Programme Viva Wolfgang, dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250 birth annivesary
Opera „Le nozze di Figaro”: Cherubino's aria
Figaro's and Susanna's duet
Figaro's aria
Susanna's aria
Opera „Don Giovanni”: Leporello's aria
Don Giovanni's aria
Donna Elvira's aria
Opera „Die Zauberflote”: Pamina's and Papageno's duet
Pamina's aria
Sarastro's aria
Papageno's and Papagena's duet
Egidijus Dauskurdis (baritone), Jolanta Silkauskienė (piano)
Concert in Katowice, Poland, 20 October 2005
F.Schubert Fantasy in F minor op.103, D. 940
J.F.Halevy Eudoxie's aria from Opera "La Juive"
F.Poulenc Sonata for Piano Four Hands
Ch.Gounod Aria ”O Dieux! Que de bijox...” from Opera „Faust”
M.K. Čiurlionis Impromptu VL 181 for Piano Four Hands
E.Wolf-Ferrari 4 Rispeti
M.Moszkowski 3 Spanish Dances op.12
J.Brahms Hungarian Dances
L.Rozycki Song from Opera „Casanova”
A.Piazzolla Undertango, Adios Nonino
Julija Stupnianek (soprano)
The piano ensemble of Giedre Gabnyte and Birute Bizeviciute
Liu of Julija Stupnianek is fascinating, first of all, for her vocal. Liu is one of the most complex roles in the history of opera; this part requires virtuosity, and J. Stupnianek has performed it as if without any effort, singing all ‘terrible’ peaks completely naturally.
Beata Leščinska, “Turandot žabangose, Giacomo Puccini operos pastatymo premjera Lietuvoje” (“Tourandot Entrapped, the Premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s Opera in Lithuania”), 7 meno dienos, 11 04 2003
J. Stupnianek has been able to reveal contrast in episodes of different operas, for instance, to convey convincingly the sincere lyrics of Kerubin and, at the same time, Zerlina’s fear and naivety. (…) J. Stupnianek has performed the dry (secco) recitatives very colourfully and meaningfully. During fragments of operas Cosi fan tutte and The Magic Flute we became convinced of J. Stupnianek’s stable singing technique and her ability to control her voice.
Rita Aleknaitė-Bieliauskienė, “Skamba Mozarto muzika” (“Mozart’s Music Sounds”), 7 meno dienos, 27 10 2006
A beautiful and professionally controlled voice, self-control, suggestion and youth accompanied every opus performed on 15 January. Cleopatra’s aria from Julius Cesar (G. F. Händel) and Fiordiligi’s aria from W. A. Mozart’s opera Cosi fan tutte were stylishly performed; a wonderful cantilena marked Adriana Lecouvrer’s aria from F. Cilea’s opera of the same title; Amelia’s dramatic scene and aria from G. Verdi’s opera A Masked Ball was moving; romances by Russian composers and beautiful miniatures by J. Gruodis were filled with sincere emotions.
Rita Aleknaitė-Bieliauskienė, “Jaunų menininkų balsai” (“Voices of Young Artists”), Literatūra ir menas, 24 01 2003
The young singer with her beautiful and well controlled voice conveyed the languorous melody of S. Rakhmaninov’s It Is Good Here, stretching to the distance like a pale line of birch trees in Russian planes, a watercolour image of To the Fountain of Bakhchisarai, a fragment of human drama in the romance It Was Not Me, the Grass in the Fields.
Rytis Jokūbaitis, “Rusų romansų vakaras” (“An Evening of Russian Romance”), Literatūra ir menas, 13 12 2002, no. 2929
