
Martinaitytė, Žibuoklė
The works of New York -based Lithuanian composer Zibuokle Martinaityte (b. 1973) have been lauded as breathtaking and profoundly moving. Her stimulating music bristles with energy and tension and revolves often around the subject of beauty, which she calls both a guiding principle and an aesthetic measure for sonic quality. To her being a composer means not only using one’s brain, but also not forgetting about one’s heart.
Martinaitytė studied composition at the Lithuanian Music Academy and took part in various composition workshops and courses in Europe studying with Brian Ferneyhough, Boguslaw Schaffer, Magnus Lindberg, Tristan Murail and Jonathan Harvey. In 2001 she was granted her first creative residency at Künstlerhaus Lukas der Stiftung Kulturfonds, Germany.
Although she began her career in Europe, she gained momentum in the USA where she received commissions from the MATA festival, the Barlow Endowment, Look+Listen Festival, Volti, Bang On A Can Marathon and others. Martinaityte has received numerous awards such as the Look+Listen Composers Competition Prize (NYC), the Copland House Sylvia Goldstein award and the Composers Now award for residency at the Pocantico Center. In 2020 she was granted the Guggenheim Fellowship and the prestigious Lithuanian Government Award for her creative achievements.
Described as a textural magician, Martinaitytė has had an increasingly growing reputation for her music. In 2021 Ondine Records released the CD “Saudade” which includes three works for symphony orchestra: Saudade, Millefleur and Horizons as well as the Chiaroscuro Trilogy for piano and string orchestra. The album gained wide critical acclaim with reviews in the New York Times, Gramophone Magazine, BBC Music Magazine and Limelight Magazine. The Stereophile Magazine chose it as the Recording of April 2021. Martinaitytė’s previous solo CD “In Search of Lost Beauty” (2019) received Best Composer and Best Album medals at the Global Music Awards. The following Ondine disc “Ex Tenebris Lux” presented three works for string orchestra: Nunc fluens. Nunc stans, Ex Tenebris Lux and Sielunmaisema (Soul-landscape). The CD was a five-star Editor’s Choice in Limelight Magazine, which wrote: “Martinaitytė wows with new works for string orchestra. This is extraordinary music with a harmonic language all her own: powerful, minimal while immense and unutterably beautiful.”
Martinaitytė’s latest release “Aletheia” includes four works for mixed choir: Aletheia, Ululations, The Blue of Distance and Chant des Voyelles . The BBC Music Magazine chose is as the choral disc of the month and wrote: “These choral works go beyond words… A powerfully compelling, stunningly sung hour of immersive listening to a distinctive and important musical voice.” The New York Times chose it as one of the 5 highlighted classical music albums and wrote: “The emotional impact of this bewitchingly beautiful music is direct and at times devastating.”
Zibuokle Martinaityte has also composed a work for violin and string orchestra entitled EKAGGATA. It was initiated by Hugo Ticciati and co-commissioned by three orchestras from different countries: the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, O/Modernt and Lithuanian National Philharmonic. The world premiere took place in Lithuania in 2023 with Ticciati as the soloist.
Chiaroscuro Trilogy
(2017)
for piano and string orchestra
str (min. 44442, preferably doubled)
Duration: 18
Ekaggata
(2024)
for solo violin and string orchestra
str(min.44442)
Duration: 20
Ex tenebris lux
(2021)
for string orchestra
str(min.44442) The amount of strings can be expanded by doubling each part, especially cellos and double basses.
Duration: 25
Horizons
(2013)
for symphony orchestra
3(I+afl,III=picc)23(III=bcl)3(III=cfg)-4331-03-hp-pf-str Percussion 1: Timpani, Crotales (on the stand), Tubular Bells, Triangle 2: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal (large), Sizzle cymbal 3: 3 Roto-toms (or Tom-toms), Gong (large, preferably sounding H)
Duration: 17
Millefleur
(2018)
for symphony orchestra
2(I+picc)222(II=cfg)-4331-02-str Percussion I: 3 Tom-toms, 2 Suspended cymbals (high & medium), Tamtam, Xylophone (or Marimba), Triangle (on a stand), Woodblock (high-pitched, close to F, E or B) Percussion II: Bass drum, Gong (large, low sounding, appr. pitch B or E), Vibraphone (with bass or cello bow)
Duration: 13
Nunc fluens. Nunc stans.
(The now that passes. The now that remains.) (2020)
for percussion and string orchestra
perc-str(min.22222, pref.44444 or larger) Percussion (solo): Suspended cymbal (low), 4 Tuned gongs* (D, E, B, C), Crotales, Vibraphone, 1 Tubular bell (D) * In case no low register Gongs are available, they can be replaced by the same pitches in another octave. The lowest gong can be replaced by Tamtam. If no pitched gongs are available at all, the performer can look for creative solutions replacing them with other metal resonating instruments such as various singing bowls etc. It is important to preserve the relative pitch relationships (high vs. low) and to look for somewhat similar pitches (D, E, B, C).
Duration: 16
Saudade
(2019)
for symphony orchestra
223(III=bcl)3(III=cfg)-4331-12(or3)-hp-str Percussion (2-3 players): Snare drum, Bass drum, 2 Suspended cymbals (large & medium), Gong (large, pitched d or f), Vibraphone, Tubular bells (E & F)
Duration: 17
Sielunmaisema
"Soul-landscape" (2019)
for violoncello and string orchestra
vc-str(min.66441)
Duration: 33
Listen to Martinaityte’s audio interview (New Sounds)
See the Saudade-CD presentation (Ondine Records/YouTube)
Charoscuro Trilogy (Tunnel)
Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, cond. Giedrė Šlekytė (Ondine Records)
Sielunmaisema (Soul-landscape)
Saudade
Horizons
Millefleur (Thousand Flowers)
Chiaroscuro Trilogy for piano and string orchestra