ProFile
Opera director Gediminas Šeduikis (b. 1983) was surrounded with classical music since he was a kid. Born in Utena into a family of musicians and teachers, he started studying piano at his hometown music school. Later he continued piano studies with Marija Radvilaitė at Juozas Tallat-Kelpša Conservatory in Vilnius. However, he did not pursue a career of a pianist, completing theatre research study programme at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (2003–2007) and gaining Master’s degree in Art Management (2018–2020) instead.
During the study years, Gediminas accumulated practical skills of working at the theatre, performing as supernumerary actor at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT). Since 2006, he has been building his knowledge in opera directing and acquiring skills of the craft by working as an assistant to numerous prominent opera and theatre directors at different theatres, including David Alden, Eimuntas Nekrošius, Robert Wilson, Jonas Jurašas, Mariusz Treliński, Silviu Purcărete, Oskaras Koršunovas, Arnaud Bernard, Chen Shi-Zheng, Vasily Barkhatov, Andrejs Žagars and Vincent Boussard. In 2018, he was appointed Head of the Direction Unit of the LNOBT and Principal Assistant Director.
Another important period in Gediminas’ creative pursuits is related to his work at the Vilnius City Opera (VCO) and co-operation with director Dalia Ibelhauptaitė. From 2007 to 2018 he worked as co-director and assistant director with the so-called “Bohemians” company and later at the Vilnius City Opera Theatre founded in 2011. While working at this theatre he individually directed the crossover project VCO Rock (2013) and Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel (2014). The latter production brought him (conjointly with conductor Ričardas Šumila) the Golden Cross of the Stage Award in the category of Young Artist. In 2011, led by Ibelhauptaitė, he directed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at Kaunas State Musical Theatre, which brought him the Fortuna Award. In 2018, at an invitation of Gintaras Rinkevičius, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Šeduikis directed rock opera Eglė by Laimis Vilkončius, which was premiered as an opening act at the Lithuania’s Centenary Song Festival “In the name of…” at Vingis Park in Vilnius.
The same year his collaboration with Klaipėda State Musical Theatre was launched, where he directed Giedrius Kuprevičius’ opera Prūsai (Prussians), as part of the centenary celebration of restored Lithuania in 2018. Two years later he returned to Klaipėda to direct the theatre’s first production of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer. Based on a concept by director Dalius Abaris, he implemented this production at a site not traditionally associated with opera – the historic shiplift near the Curonian Lagoon. Equally unorthodox in location selection (a cargo truck this time) is his latest production, Pergolesi’s La serva padrona, which is part of the project “Moving opera! Pop-up Opera Truck” (2020).
- Director - Giedrius Kuprevičius PRUSSIANS (Premiere 2018.02.17)
- Director - Richard Wagner DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER (Premiere 2020.08.01)
