Today we’d like to introduce you to Teodoras Kasteckas.
Teodoras, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Everything started when I was 3 years old. During winter my parents used to take me to the national opera and ballet theatre where we would watch The Nutcracker. That was our yearly tradition back in Lithuania. Before the start of the show my parents and I would always go look at the orchestra pit. I suddenly said that I like “that” instrument, which was the violin. Soon after, they found me a teacher and I enrolled in a professional music school when I turned 7. I stayed there for several years until I auditioned for Chethams School of Music in Manchester, UK. I finished my studies there and went to the Royal College of Music, where I was the holder of Heddy Simpson Award supported by the Stanbridge Drake-Brockman scholarship. During my time in RCM, I was also the ambassador of the College to the Lithuanian Students’ Association in the UK which brought me some opportunities to perform and meet various ambassadors and politicians. Also, during my time in the RCM, I had a lot of performance opportunities as a soloist and later as an orchestral musician. I fell in love with orchestra and decided that this is what I’d like to do in the future, so I performed on various occasions with professional youth orchestras, such as Nova Philharmonia (in which I had a chance to be the concertmaster for the recent concerts), Holland Park Sinfonia as well as the RCM Symphony Orchestra and some collaborations with professional orchestras such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Currently, I am part of the Moravian Philharmonic in Olomouc (Czechia) where I am starting as a tutti violinist from September
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Coming from a small Eastern European country, there were various challenges. As I left quite early (14) to live on my own in England, language and cultural barriers were quite obvious. I had to learn to be completely independent, as well as the teaching style of music was very different than back in Lithuania, where it is still quite post-Soviet style teaching, with the main focus on technique and everything else after. Another big challenge was after finishing university to find a way into professional musician’s career as getting a stable contract was almost impossible. I did so far 3 orchestral auditions, including Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra and then Moravian Philharmonic in which I succeeded. After failing the first 2, I was already deciding to change a career path as I didn’t have any contacts in order for an easier way into the orchestra life. Also, after finishing studies, I spent the first 6 months working in a restaurant more than full time as well as preparing for the auditions all over Europe as Master’s studies were out of my reach financially. Eventually, it worked out better than I expected and now I am pursuing my musical career
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a violinist, I currently work in the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc and I am a freelance tutti violinist and guest concertmaster at the Nova Philharmonia. I also teach privately and participate in recording sessions
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Apart from violin, I was always interested in aviation, which I thought I might even pursue as a career path if music doesn’t workout. I have also played basketball professionally for over 12 years in a professional youth team with which we became champions in Lithuania and European tournaments. Alongside, I also played Tennis and was a leader of a robotics team with which we received a bronze in a national competition
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teodoras_27?igsh=bnEwNTJzbXg0cXRh&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14jAsxRKF9s/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@teodoraskasteckas1299?si=pvnkGYmIVq9JeLO0
