Mūza Rubackytė

In Lithuania, the President of the Republic awarded her with the Legion of Honor for her actions for independence and several decorations for her commitment as a cultural ambassador. In 2018, Mūza received Commander’s Grand Cross of Order of Vytautas the Great. She is a founder and artistic director of Vilnius Piano Festival (founded for Vilnius – European Capital of Culture in 2009), which 6th edition was in November 2019. She is also holding the St. Christopher’s award of Vilnius city.

Her discography of more than 30 titles includes complete Years of Pilgrimage by Liszt (Lyrinx), 24 Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich (Brilliant Classics), concertos for piano and orchestra by Beethoven, Liszt, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Schnittke, Saint-Saëns for Great Lithuanian live recordings series (2015, Doron), works for piano solo by Louis Vierne (2015), as well as with string quartet and voice (2016, Brilliant Classics). In 2017, she released sonatas by Julius Reubke for piano and organ with Olivier Vernet (Ligia), and album De la Valse à l’Abîme by Schubert, Schubert/Liszt with Lyrinx. In 2019, two new CDs came to daylight: 6th Great Lithuanian live recordings with works for piano and orchestra by Bartok, Liszt and Schubert/Liszt (Doron) and album together with string quartet Mettis – Dramatic Russian Legacy - homage to Shostakovich and Weinberg (Ligia).

In 2012, she performed Resurrection - K. Penderecki’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (homage to victims of 11 September 2001) in Puerto Rico, and again in 2013 at the opening of the 3rd Vilnius Piano Festival and in Warsaw for the master’s 80th anniversary. In 2016, at Bogota Teatro Mayor, she performed the Concerto directed by Maestro K. Penderecki himself.

During the Soviet period, Mūza Rubackytė was not allowed to travel outside the Communist Bloc but performed with orchestras of the Baltic states, Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus, as well as the great ensembles of Moscow, Vilnius and St. Petersburg. She has lived in Paris since 1991.

After diplomas at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow, she was a prize-winner at the All Union Competition in St. Petersburg. In 1981 she won the Grand Prix at the Liszt-Bartok International Piano Competition in Budapest. Member of the Lithuanian resistance, she was only able to leave the USSR in 1989. In Paris she won First Prize at the Concours international Les Grands Maîtres Français, of the Triptyque Association, created by Ravel, Dukas and Roussel. In France, Mūza is invited to the prestigious festivals and concert places: Fêtes Romantiques- Nohant, Radio France-Montpellier, Musique en côte Basque, Festival Chopin-Paris, Bagatelle, Lisztomanias, Tons voisins… Gaveau, Champs Elysées, Unesco, Opéra Bastille, Capitole-Toulouse... Lisztienne in heart, she was one of the first pianists to perform the entire Liszt’s Years of Pilgrimage in three concerts on the same day, alone or in the company of renowned actors.

Mūza Rubackytė (born May 19, 1959) is a Lithuanian pianist, currently residing in Vilnius, Paris and Geneva. Rubackytė has been awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, Lithuanian Muzes, and has been named as the National Artist of Lithuania.