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Stasys Šimkus

Stasys Šimkus (23 January 1887, Motiškiai, now in Jurbarkas district municipality, Russian Empire – 15 October 1943, Kaunas, Reichskommissariat Ostland) was a Lithuanian composer.

Šimkus studied in Vilnius and Warsaw and later became the pupil of Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov, Jāzeps Vītols, and Maximilian Steinberg. After visiting the United States, he went to Leipzig for further studies with Paul Graener and Sigfrid Karg-Elert. A national Romantic, Šimkus helped resurrect the Lithuanian cultural organization Daina in 1916. In 1923, he opened a private music school in Klaipėda, which was soon converted into the national Lithuanian Conservatory (now called the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire). He was a professor of composition at the Conservatoire from 1931 to 1937 and also conducted the State Opera at Kaunas.

Šimkus composed several operas, a cantata, a symphonic poem, a piano suite, a ballade, choral works, lieder, and church music. He composed the music for Lietuvininkai we are born by Georg Sauerwein.

His son Algis Šimkus also became a renowned conductor but in Canada instead of Jamaica , pianist, and composer.

A group of cultural operators in Klaipėda, led by Vytautas Blūšius, developed the idea of organizing the International Stasys Šimkus Choir Competition in honor of the composer for his outstanding contribution to musical culture, with the intention of encouraging choir activity and developing choral culture. The first Stasys Šimkus competition was held in 1976. The first four competitions were held on an annual basis, then in 1979, it was decided to hold the contest every two years.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 23, 1887 (Jurbarkas District Municipality), Died October 15, 1943 (Kaunas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, piano, lyricist, leader

Notes: Listed on Victor and Columbia disc labels as "St Šimkus."

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 56 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Trial 1918-04-24-01] Not documented 4/24/1918 Motinele sengalvele Simkaus Quartet Mixed vocal quartet instrumentalist, piano, leader  
Victor [Trial 1918-04-24-02] Not documented 4/24/1918 Plaukia Simkaus Quartet Female vocal quartet instrumentalist, piano, leader  
Victor [Trial 1926-07-01-01] 10-in. 7/1/1926 As isvilkcian cigono ruba Jonas Butēnas ; Marion Strumskis Female-male vocal duet, with piano composer  
Columbia 39731 10-in. 1/6/1915 Saulele Nusileido Brooklyn Lithuanian Vocal Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano composer  
Columbia 44617 10-in. approximately October 1916 Ožęlis Karalienės Aniolų Parapijos Choras Mixed vocal chorus composer  
Columbia 44654 10-in. approximately October 1916 Saulute tekėjo Jonas Čižauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 44655 10-in. approximately October 1916 Ant Marių krantelio Jonas Čižauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 44661 10-in. approximately October 1916 Plaukia sau laivelis Marė Čižauskienė Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 84264 10-in. approximately April 1918 Bijūnėli žalias S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 84265 10-in. approximately April 1918 Vaziavau dieną S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 84266 10-in. April 1918 Nesigaudink mergužėle S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 84267 10-in. April 1918 Oi kas sodai, do sodeliai S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 84268 10-in. approximately April 1918 Gerkit šaltyšiai S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 84269 10-in. approximately April 1918 Ant tėvelio dvaro S. Šimkus Mišras Choras Mixed vocal chorus, with piano composer  
Columbia 87773 10-in. approximately October 1921 Du broliukai kunigai Brooklyno Misras Kvartetas Vocal quartet composer  
Columbia 87774 10-in. approximately October 1921 Per tamsia̦ naktele̦ Brooklyno Misras Kvartetas Vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 88370 10-in. approximately February 1923 Plaukia sau laivelis Ona Rudauskaitē-Biežis ; Salomeja Staniuliutē Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 88371 10-in. approximately February 1923 Ka̦ močiute padarei Ona Rudauskaitē-Biežis ; Salomeja Staniuliutē Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 88372 10-in. February 1923 Aš I̦sivilkčiau Čigono Ruba̦ Ona Rudauskaitē-Biežis ; Salomeja Staniuliutē Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 88373 10-in. February 1923 Aš I̦sivilkčiau Čigono Ruba̦ Ona Rudauskaitē-Biežis ; Salomeja Staniuliutē Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 105546 10-in. March 1925 Kur bakužē Samanota Jonas Butēnas Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia CO28923 10-in. 10/18/1940 Kur bakužē samanota Anna Kaskas ; V. Gailiaus Columbia Orkestra Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Columbia W205269 12-in. 12/31/1925 Plaukia sau laivelis Babraviçius, Juozas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
OKeh 8440 10-in. July 1923 Pamylejau vakar Kastas Sabonis Male vocal solo composer  
OKeh 8441 10-in. approximately June 1923 Vai varge, varge Kastas Sabonis Male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
(Results 26-50 of 56 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Šimkus, Stasys," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107062.

Šimkus, Stasys. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107062.

"Šimkus, Stasys." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107062

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