Mindaugas Urbaitis

(b. 1952) began as a sound director and gained fame in the late 1970s. At one time, composers throughout the Baltics, the author of this article included, were imitating his experiments with magnetic tape. Although he introduced the computer into his creative work comparatively late, it was a natural step in his career. Urbaitis can be said to continue the tradition of the Lithuanian sound directors' school, which dates back to A. Rekashius and 0. Balakauskas. As his paper about Balakauskas's symphony attests, Urbaitis clearly recognizes where the roots of his creative work lie. He also seems to have a clear understanding of his creative purposes in music. Urbaitis's compositions are profound in content and reflect the use of sound-coloristic effects. One finds synthesized timbres, different manipulations with the phonogram, and diverse combinations of live performance and recorded sound. The effect is extremely natural. A native of Kaunas.