Silvija Sondeckienė was born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1942. She graduated with Honours from the cello class of Mstislav Rostropovich at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow in 1966, completing her postgraduate studies in 1972. 

From 1964 to 1984 she was a member of a piano trio giving frequent concerts in Lithuania and abroad. From 1966 until 2004 she was a Professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music in Vilnius, whilst giving many solo and chamber music performances in Lithuania, Russia, Poland and Croatia. During this time she was also a principal cellist with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, with whom she took part in many concerts in Europe, Asia, the USA and South Africa, working extensively under the conductorship of Menuhin.

Silvija has been on the jury for many international competitions. She has held masterclasses in Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, France, Croatia, Belgium and Portugal, and is still active in this field. Silvija is married to the renowned conductor Saulius Sondeckis.