Romualdas Kulikauskas (1935 04 05 Kaunas – 2001 04 15 Vilnius) – a Lithuanian cellist, champion of the quartet art, promulgator of Lithuanian chamber music in the world, pedagogue who has educated a great number of renowned cellists.
He was born on April 5, 1935 in Kaunas. In spite of hardships of post-war reality, the family often visited the Kaunas Opera Theatre; its home was always filled with music. At the time the little Romualdas was especially fascinated with the sound of violin and was entertaining the thought of becoming a violinist. However, it was only in 1948, when he was 13 years old, that his parents took him to music school. It took him six years (1948–1954) to graduate from the Kaunas Ten-Year School of Music (presently Kaunas J. Naujalis Music Gymnasium). He was one of the first graduates of Domas Svirskis.
In 1954–1959, Kulikauskas studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow under Prof. S. Aslamazian, an illustrious cellist, member of the Komitas Quartet. Upon returning to Lithuania, Kulikauskas served as the head of the Orchestral Department at the Kaunas Ten-Year School of Music (1959–1962) and also was the principal cello of the Kaunas Musical Theatre Orchestra.
In 1962, Kulikauskas settled in Vilnius, for a while was a member of the Chamber Orchestra led by S. Sondeckis. The same year he was invited to replace M. Shenderov, an indisposed cellist of the Lithuanian String Quartet. At the time, an internationally recognised Quartet involved violinists Eugenijus Paulauskas and Kornelija Kalinauskaitė, and violist Jurgis Fledžinskas. To become a part of such an accomplished artistic collective was quite a challenge, which was successfully mastered by the young and talented musician. In 1964, the Lithuanian String Quartet garnered second prize in the competition in Liege (Belgium), the same year Kulikauskas was honoured with the title of the Distinguished Artist of the LSSR. In 1965, the members of the Quartet were awarded the Lithuanian State Prize.
The Lithuanian String Quartet turned to be the main domain of Kulikauskas’ activity. He was associated with the collective for 28 years (until 1990). As its member he toured the entire Lithuania, performed in the former Soviet Union, many countries in Europe, as well as in America, Canada, Cuba and Lebanon; appeared in international festivals; greatly contributed to promulgation of Lithuanian chamber music abroad, recorded LPs and made recordings for the Lithuanian Radio.
Kulikauskas’ huge concert experience and gigantic repertoire embracing quartet literature of diverse styles and epochs were very valuable agents in his pedagogical work. He got involved with teaching while still at the music school; Kulikauskas had worked at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire (presently the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre) for 38 years (1962 – 2000). In 1971–1997, he was the head of the Chamber Music Department at the Academy, in 1997–2000 – the head of the String Instrument Department at the Kaunas Faculty. In 1991, he was granted the title of academic-professor. Kulikauskas was talented and dedicated pedagogue. Generously sharing his experience he educated many an acclaimed cellist, contributed to and nurtured the benchmark Lithuanian traditions of cello and quartet art. The list of his disciples includes Prof. Augustinas Vasiliauskas, the cellist of the Vilnius String Quartet, and Saulius Bartulis, the cellist of the Kaunas String Quartet.
His contemporaries remember Kulikauskas as a talented performer, owner of a lush and expressive tone, a musician of innate warmth, generous and thoughtful friend caring for colleagues and students.
Romualdas Kulikauskas died on April 15, 2011 in Vilnius. Buried in Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius.
Today Maestro’s cello graces the concert scenes of Lithuania and the world in the hands of his son cellist Edmundas Kulikauskas.
Written by Aldona Juodelienė