This month we are interviewing Vitalij Neugasimov, a classically trained pianist , organist, composer and improviser from Vilnius, Lithuania. Vitalij’s compositional style is both appealing and accessible, making his pieces very popular with performers around the World. Several have been included in recent ABRSM syllabuses (Lullaby, Lazy Bear, Moody Gigue) and Oxford University Press have published four books comprising his Piano Sketches (solos and duets).
‘His pieces throughout these collections expertly combine astute pop sensibilities, classical tradition and pedagogic insight, offering music which bridges the divide that can sometimes exist between a teacher’s tastes and interests and those of their pupils.’
Vitalij, thank you so much for being under the spotlight this month. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your musical background and career to date?
I am classically trained pianist and organist from Vilnius, Lithuania. From 1999 to 2012, I worked at Liepaitės choir singing school where I taught piano, theory, singing and improvisation. I am also a founder (countertenor) of a cappella vocal band Quorum. My piano pieces have been published by ABRSM and Oxford University Press (OUP) and are being performed all over the world.
Who, or what, inspired you to start composing?
Since my childhood I’ve had a passion for improvising and inventing something in music. I started to take composition seriously at the Lithuanian Music Academy. Later, I decided to write pieces for my students in order to keep them motivated. Then I began to write down my piano improvisations, encouraged by numerous admirers of my music, and composed songs for many ensembles and choirs.
Your music is full of character, emotion and deep connection with the performer and audience. What factors have influenced your compositional style and how would you describe it?
Can you tell us a bit about how you go about composing a new piece?
It mostly derives from improvisation, and improvisation comes from certain mood, which is caused by a situation in everyday life. Often a composition may be dedicated to a certain person who has inspired me to write a new piece. Sometimes a constructive idea may be the driver, and at other times I am commissioned to write for a certain occasion.
Do you have a favourite piece that you have written, or one that you are particularly proud of?
What advice would you give to teachers who wish to encourage their students to compose, or musicians who want to have a go at composing?
I would like to tell everybody to have the courage to be yourself – not the comfortable one, but open-minded, deep, brave, free person. The creator inside will immediately spread his or her wings. Our artistic potential is endless…all we need to become happy and prosperous is to awaken our inner selves.
