A native of Lithuania, clarinetist Sarunas Jankauskas enjoys a versatile performance career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician as well as a contemporary music artist. His playing has been acknowledged for “notable precision and beauty,” “exotic flair,” “smooth and seductive delicacy” and for “bringing a rich tone to even the most breathlessly fast passages.”
Jankauskas has performed throughout the United States and Europe, appearing as a concerto soloist with Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony, Texas Festival Orchestra, and collaborating with many accomplished artists, including St. Petersburg and Jasper String Quartets, Toby Blumenthal and Kris Becker. He has participated at the International Conservatory Week Festival in St. Petersburg (Russia), SoundSpace (Hybrid art series at Blanton Museum of Art), Chamber Music at the Barn, KNOB Festival, Kaunas Contemporary Music Festival, among other events, and also has been a fellow in prestigious summer programs: Sarasota Music Festival, New Music Workshop of Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Round Top Festival-Institute and Texas Music Festival. As a new music enthusiast, he recently commissioned and premiered clarinet works by Richard Lavenda, Zack Stanton, Ethan F. Greene, Paul Kerekes and Brett Kroening.
Dr. Jankauskas is pleased to join the faculty of the School of Music at James Madison University in the Fall of 2016. Previously he taught at Texas Lutheran University and, most recently, at Wichita State University, in addition to performing with the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet and as principal clarinetist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. He started his formal musical studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and, after moving to the United States, received degrees from Grand Valley State University, Rice University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Upcoming Concerts
Friday, August 5, 11am ClarinetFest 2016, Lawrence, KS
Tuesday, September 20, 8pm Harmoniemusik Ensemble James Madison University Forbes Recital Hall
Thursday, January 19, 8pm Faculty Recital James Madison University