Justas Dvarionas

Justas Dvarionas is an Associate Professor at the Vytautas Magnus University Music Academy and has been a significant figure in the international music community. He has conducted numerous masterclasses across five continents, mentoring many students who have won top honours at prestigious piano competitions.

Since 2008, Justas served as Vice-President of the EMCY (European Union of Music Competitions for Youth). In 2024, he was appointed President of EMCY, continuing his commitment to fostering young musical talent across Europe and worldwide.

With a wealth of experience, Justas has served as a jury member at various international competitions, including the Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark, the Liszt Junior Piano Competition in Germany, the International Radio Competition for Young Musicians ‘Concertino Praga’ in the Czech Republic, the Volodymyr Krainev Competition in Ukraine, the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition in the USA, the Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz in Ukraine, the Santa Cecilia International Competition in Porto, Portugal, the PIANALE Competition in Germany, and the R. Schumann Junior Competition in Germany, among many others.

In addition to his role as a jury member, Justas serves as the artistic director for several competitions and frequently chairs the jury. He actively promotes and implements the core principles of fairness, transparency, and justice in the organisation of these events.

Justas’ musical journey began in Lithuania and led him to the Moscow P. Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, where he completed his graduate and post-graduate studies with the highest honours (CUM LAUDE) under the guidance of Prof. Lev Vlassenko and Mikhail Pletnev. His pianistic and musical skills were further enriched through interactions with renowned pianists Sviatoslav Richter and Elisso Wirssaladse.

In 1992, during his final years of study, Justas won the Italian “Viotti-Valsesia” International Piano Competition and received special awards from the Portuguese “Porto” International Piano Competition and the “International M.K. Čiurlionis” Piano Competition in Lithuania. He earned high praise from jury chairman Daniel Pollack, who remarked: “Justas Dvarionas from Lithuania left me with one of the biggest impressions… [he] has a unique interpretation.”

Justas continues to be actively engaged in concerts, teaching, and jury activities across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.

Photo by Olga Posashkova