Rokas Diržys was born in 2008 and began playing the violin at the age of seven. The young violinist studied at the First Music School of Kaunas and, since September 2023, has been studying at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts in the violin class of Professor Rūta Lipinaitytė. He is currently a scholarship recipient of the M. Rostropovich Charity and Support Foundation “Support for the Children of Lithuania.”
Rokas has won numerous awards in national and international competitions, including a Laureate
Diploma at the National B. Dvarionas Competition (2020, 2022, 2024), Grand Prix at the 3rd and
4th A. Livontas Competitions for Young String Players (2021, 2024), Grand Prix at the international Premio Scarlatti competition, First Prize at the “Music Without Borders” festival- competition (2024), Second Prize at the international S. Sondeckis Competition (2024), First Prize
at the 6th J. Urba National String Competition (2022), and First Prize at the 5th International V.
Radovičius String Competition (2019). In 2024, Rokas became the First Prize Laureate of the 12th
International B. Dvarionas Competition, where he was awarded eight special monetary and concert prizes. In 2025, he became a diploma recipient and the winner of the Audience Prize at the 7th International J. Heifetz Violin Competition.
Rokas has received multiple Honorary Diplomas from the Mayor of Kaunas, V. Matijošaitis, as
well as the “Lithuanian Maximalists” scholarship for achievements in music (2020, 2021, 2023) and scholarships from the “VIVAT Future Multitalent” support foundation in Latvia (2021, 2023). In 2025, he was awarded the “Young Kristoforas” prize.
Rokas has frequently performed solo with orchestras. Among the most memorable appearances
were in 2024, when he performed at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martynas Staškus, playing B. Dvarionas’ Violin Concerto in B minor, and in 2025, when he returned to the stage under the baton of Modestas Pitrėnas to perform J. Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.
Rokas continuously hones his musical skills through masterclasses and has participated in open lessons with renowned violinists and professors such as Pierre Amoyal, Zakhar Bron, Andrey Baranov, Christian Altenburger, Džeraldas Bidva, Martynas Švėgžda von Bekker, and Dalia Dėdinskaitė.
He currently plays a violin previously used by Sergej Krylov, entrusted to him by the M.
Rostropovich Charity and Support Foundation “Support for the Children of Lithuania.”
Solo:
J. S. Bach: Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (I-IV parts)
J. S. Bach: “Fugue” from Sonata No. 1
J. S. Bach: “Gavotte en Rondeau” from Partita No. 3
N. Milstein: Paganiniana (Variations) For Violin Solo
B. Kutavičius: “Andata e ritorno II”
N. Paganini: Caprices No. 2, No. 9, No. 14, No. 15, No. 18, No. 20, No. 21, No. 22
F. Schubert/H. W. Ernst: “Erlkönig”
With piano:
T. Vitali: Chaconne
M. Bruch: “Kol Nidrei”
H. Wieniawski: Polonaise in A major
H. Wieniawski: Theme original varié, Op. 15
H. Wieniawski: “Kujawiak”
N. Paganini: Perpetuum mobile
O. Novacek: Perpetuum mobile
J. Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in D minor
C. Debussy/J. Heifetz: “Beau soir”
A. Dvorak: Sonatina in G major, Op. 100
J. Raff: Cavatina
J. Pakalnis: “Lament”
B. Dvarionas: Nocturne in F-sharp minor
B. Dvarionas: Elegia Canzonetta
B. Dvarionas: “By the lake”
B. Bartok: Romanian dances
G. Kuprevičius: “Four dances”
With orchestra:
A. Vivaldi: “Spring”
W. A. Mozart: Concerto for Violin No. 3 and No. 4 (first parts)
H. Wieniawski: Polonaise in D major
C. Saint-Saens: “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso”, Op. 28
M. Bruch: Concerto No. 1
H. Vieuxtemps: Concerto No. 5
J. Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor
B. Dvarionas: Violin Concerto in B minor
