"… The way Robertas Šervenikas lightens the density of texture, punctuates transitions and electrifies the development till the last highly tense outbreak, reveals his truly international class. No less than the fact how the orchestra follows him with great attention, combines passion with professional precision <…> and in the literal sense is inundated with ideas under his authoritative leadership…"

Der Tagesspiegel, 2002

 

Robertas Šervenikas – active, productive and authoritative conductor – is often praised for the intensive and diverse creative activities ranging from the first performances of large-scale symphonic compositions by Lithuanian composers to distinctive and mature interpretations of contemporary and classical repertoire. Robertas Šervenikas is numbered among the most talented and professional Lithuanian conductors of his generation. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was awarded the Lithuanian National Arts and Culture Prize in 2005.

 

After graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in choral, opera and orchestral conducting, Šervenikas began working with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) in 1993 and was appointed its Second Conductor in 2000. He regularly performs with the Lithuanian, Šiauliai and Klaipėda chamber orchestras, and leads the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy Symphony Orchestra.

 

"... Conductor Robertas Šervenikas’ gesture is intense and well-thought-of. His interpretation created a vision lit by an ingenious and rich imagination, in which the architecture of sound combinations revealed the meaning of form that was both perfect and vivid…"

Luxemburger Wort, 2005

 

The latter decade has been particularly successful for the conductor. In 1997 Mstislav Rostropovich has invited Robertas Šervenikas to conduct Philharmonie der Nationen Orchestra at the Evian Festival in France; and a year later – the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. In 1998 Robertas Šervenikas led the LNSO on a very successful tour in Germany, performing at prestigious venues, such as Alte Oper, Hamburg Musikhalle and Cologne Philharmonic. For this tour, apart from the traditional symphonic programme, the conductor has prepared the world premiere of Sonnengesang by Sofia Gubaidulina, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich who performed cello solo. This was followed by successful concerts with the LNSO in Scandinavian and Baltic countries and at music festivals in Germany, France and Spain.

 

"…Our words of praise should go to the conductor Robertas Šervenikas, who has accomplished an immense work in studying the visionary scores and transposing them into many-faceted textural structures…"

Kauno diena, 2005

 

Among the highlights of the past few years were the appearances of the Lithuanian Music and Theatre Academy Symphony Orchestra under Robertas Šervenikas at the Young.Euro.Classic Festival in Berlin (2002, 2003); the first performance of Onutė Narbutaitė’s monumental Tres Dei Matris Symphoniae at the Musikfesttage an der Oder in Frankfurt/Oder, with Robertas Šervenikas conducting the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Aidija Chamber Choir and the great choir of the Singakademie Frankfurt (2004); and collaboration with the LNSO, cellist Misha Maisky and violinist Julian Rachlin in performance at the Madrid National Concert Hall.

 

"...Robertas Šervenikas’ conducting pulsated with freshness and intensity, and was noted for a firm discipline…"

Frankfurter Neue Presse, 1998

 

As an adventurous interpreter of new music repertoire, Robertas Šervenikas participates regularly (since 1997) in all of the Lithuania’s contemporary music festivals (Gaida, Jauna Muzika, Iš arti, Marių klavyrai) at which he has conducted performances and premieres of many compositions by Lithuanian composers, among whom were Onutė Narbutaitė, Vytautas Barkauskas, Bronius Kutavičius, Anatolijus Šenderovas, Vidmantas Bartulis, Algirdas Martinaitis, Feliksas Bajoras, Raminta Šerkšnytė and Mindaugas Urbaitis.