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Duo ZUBOVAS @ Gintautas Beržinskas

Duo Zubovas debut concert took place in Chicago, USA, in 1997. The Duo Zubovas were invited to perform at the UNESCO Palace of Nations in Genève and at the Kings palace in Warsaw and many other significant venues. They visited with concerts most major American and Canadian cities, Argentina and Uruguay, many European countries (Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine), as well as Russia, Belarus, South Korea and Iran.

The Duo Zubovas have taken part in international festivals including Norskmusikfestucke (Norway, 2001), Berlioz (France, 2003), Cita di Castello (Italy, 2004), Bachosluzheniye (Russia, 2009), Ljubljana (Slovenia, 2010), Usedom (Germany, 2011), Rauma (Finland, 2013), Piano Duo Festival (Belarus, 2017), Kiev Easter Music Festival (Ukraine, 2018), Festival Vocallis (the Netherlands, 2021), and numerous festivals in Lithuania (“Pažaislio”, “Marių klavyrai”, “Klaipėdos pavasaris”, “Jauna muzika”, “Permainų muzika”, “Gaida”, “Šiauliai Piano Duo Festival”, etc.). 

Both pianists carry out educational programs in Lithuanian cities. In 2005-2019, they organized the annual international music and ecology festival “Land of the Disobedient” in Neringa.

Duo Zubovas have performed with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Belorussian State Symphony Orchestra (BY), Kherson Symphony Orchestra (UA), Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, Šiauliai, Klaipėda, St. Christopher and Kaliningrad (RU)  chamber orchestras, Vilnius String Quartet, Čiurlionis Quartet, as well as “Aukuras”, “Aidija”, Vilnius University, “Jauna muzika”, “Polifonija”, “Dainava” (USA) and “Ave Musica” (USA) choirs. The Duo Zubovas performed world premieres of works written for them by more than 10 different composers.  

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Duo ZUBOVAS © Dmitrij Matvejev

Pianists Sonata Deveikytė-Zubovienė and Rokas Zubovas started performing together, as piano duo in 1997, while residing in Chicago. During their residence in the US, they performed as duo in many cities of the United States and Canada, including New York, Washington DC, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. 

After returning to their homeland Lithuania in 2001, Sonata and Rokas continued their active musical careers. As Duo Zubovas, they toured several times in the countries of the South America, performed in majority countries of Europe and Asia, participated in a number of international festivals: Norway (Norskmusikfestucke, 2001), France (Berlioz, 2003), Italy (Cita di Castello, 2004), Russia (Bachosluzheniye, 2009), Slovenia (Ljubljana, 2010), Germany (Usedom, 2011 ), Finland (Rauma, 2013), Belarus (Piano Duo Festival, 2017), Ukraine (Kiev Easter Music Festival, 2018), the Netherlands (Festival Vocallis, 2021), and Lithuania (“Pažaislis”, “Marių klavyrai”, “ Klaipėdos pavasaris”, “Jauna muzika”,“Permainų muzika”, “ Gaida ”, Šiauliai Piano Duo Festival”, etc.).  

In 2005-2019, Duo Zubovas organised international festival of music and ecology “Land of the Disobedient” in Neringa (LT) in which they combined innovative musical ideas with ecological initiatives.  

Duo Zubovas has performed with numerous symphonic and chamber orchestras of the region, including Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Belorussian State Symphony Orchestra (BY), Kherson Symphony Orchestra (UA), Kaunas, Šiauliai, Klaipėda, St. Christopher and Kaliningrad (RU) chamber orchestras. They also have performed with the best Lithuanian choral organisations, including Vilnius University Choir, “Polifonija” (Šiauliai), “Aukuras” (Klaipėda), “Jauna muzika” (Vilnius), “Aidija” (Vilnius), as well as “Dainava” and “Ave Musica” (Chicago).

Collaborations with composers resulted in over ten world premieres of compositions, written for Duo Zubovas.

Duo Zubovas’ repertoire focuses primarily on original works for piano four hands including majority of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Grieg, Dvorak, Bizet, Faure, Ravel, Debussy, Rachmaninov, as well as transcriptions for piano four hands including such works as “Spanish Rhapsody” by Ravel, “The Rite of Spring” by Stravinsky, “La mer” by Debussy, “The Sea” and “In the Forest” by M. K. Čiurlionis, “Cuban Overture” and “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin and many others. Duo Zubovas also performs core repertoire for two pianos as well as concertos for two pianos and orcherstra by J. S. Bach, F. Mendelssohn and M. Bruch.

Pianist Sonata Deveikytė-Zubovienė has graduated from the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art (Vilnius, Lithuania), where she studied piano in 1975–1987. Upon graduation, she has continued her music education at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LAMT). Pianist Rokas Zubovas started his music education in 1973 at the J. Naujalis Music Gymnasium (Kaunas, Lithuania), from which he has graduated in 1984 and enrolled in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 1989, he has completed Bachelor program at the LAMT. 

During their studies in Lithuania, Sonata has won awards in national competitions, while Rokas has garnered the first prize in M.K. Čiurlionis International Piano Competition in 1986.    

In 1990, both pianists went to continue their music education at De Paul University School of Music (Chicago, USA). Rokas earned Master Degree in Piano Performance. Sonata has completed Bachelor program in Piano Performance, and also earned Master Degree in Piano Performance. Both pianists have repeatedly honed their skills in master classes led by Esther Yellin (Heinrich Neuhaus Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland), Andrius Kuprevičius (Cleveland State University School of Music, USA) and Edward Auer (Illinois State University School of Music in Bloomington, USA). Both pianists have given a number of recitals, chamber music concerts. Sonata has appeared with orchestras. As a result of earning prizes in Frinna Awerbuch Piano Competition in New York (Sonata captured the second prize in 1992, Rokas – the first prize in 1996), both pianists made their debuts at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York.

Duo ZUBOVAS © Dmitrij Matvejev