Saulius Šiaučiulis

Siauciulis - photo by Viktor Yakovlev.jpg

The pianist and educator Saulius Šiaučiulis is an expert of mainstream jazz, one of the leading traditional jazz pianists in Lithuania.

Jūratė Kučinskaitė

Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet - Marjo

Biography

The pianist and educator Saulius Šiaučiulis (b. 1951) is an expert of mainstream jazz, one of the leading traditional jazz pianists in Lithuania.

He studied at the M. K. Čiurlionis School of Arts, in 1974 graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music where he studied classical piano with Prof. Mariam Azizbekova. After graduation he returned to his native city of Klaipėda and became active member of its musical scene. Since 1970, he has been active as a jazz pianist. In 1970-85 he led the Klaipėda Jazz Quartet, later the Saulius Šiaučiulis Ensemble. In 1980 he also joined the Big Band and the Dixieland of the Klaipėda Conservatory, and in 1985-94 performed in duo with clarinettist Pranas Narušis. He has also collaborated with Vladimir Chekasin, Vytautas Pilibavičius, Vytautas Labutis, Jan Maksimowicz, Tomas Botyrius, Arvydas Jofė, Arkady Shilkloper and Jiggs Whigham, among others. Recently Saulius Šiaučiulis has been regularly performing with the Kaunas Big Band, saxophonist Petras Vyšniauskas, singer Steponas Januška. The pianist collaborates with classical performers as well, including Aukuras Choir, String Quintet of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Kaunas String Quartet, Kaunas Chamber Orchestra to name just a few. He has also toured European countries with different groups.

Saulius Šiaučiulis is an acknowledged teacher. Since 1973, he has been on a faculty at the Klaipėda University (formerly Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian State Conservatory; since 2002 - an assistant Professor). In 1997, he joined the faculty of the Eduardas Balsys Gymnasium of Arts, in 1997-2001 taught at the Stasys Šimkus Conservatory. He wrote a textbook Jazz Themes for Improvisation Studies vol. I (1999) and vol. II (2003), with accompanying CDs.

Saulius Šiaučiulis is known as a composer as well. Besides jazz compositions, his output includes music for the Klaipėda Drama Theatre productions, music for children (songs and theatre music). He is also an actor with the Klaipėda Castle Theatre. In 1976-85 he served as a music director of the Klaipėda Drama Theatre.

Merry Garden-bed
Eugenija Jankutė - reciter, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
Melodija C52 12489-90, 1979 (LP)

Credo
Saulius Šiaučiulis Ensemble: Rimantas Brazaitis - saxes, fl, Viktor Ignatov - ts, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Vladimir Kaplan - g, Virginijus Švabas - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Arvydas Jofė - dr, Gintarė Jautakaitė - voc
Melodija C60 14569-70, 1981 (LP)

Above the Storms
Algis Kilis and Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Algis Kilis - ts, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Gintautas Litinskas - b, Edmundas Federavičius - dr
Pukas 296, 1996 (MC)

A Concert Celebrating 30th Anniversary of Saulius Šiaučiulis' Creative Career
Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Pranas Narušis - cl, Laimonas Urbikas - ts, Lauris Amontovs - tb, Mantas Liutikas - p, Mindaugas Proškinas - p, Laimonas Jančas - b, Tadas Jurėnas - b, Vidas Karnatka - dr, Renatas Fominichas - dr, Vita Rusaitytė - voc
2001 (CD)

Zenonas Žakelis
Zenonas Žakelis - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
2001 (CD)

Tales of the Skirts of Wood
Eugenija Jankutė - reciter, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
Tembras, 2002 (CD)

As a group member and guest musician

River of Time
Steponas Januška - voc, Valerijus Ramoška - tp, Liudas Mockūnas - sax, Saulius Šiaučiulis - synth, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Virginijus Pažemeckas - g, Gintautas Litinskas - b, voc, Larisa Chekasina - voc, Irena Starošaitė - voc
JAM Records JMCD 024, 1999 (CD)

Astor Piazzolla: Tango Nuevo
Petras Vyšniauskas - sax, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Gintaras Balčiūnas - acc, Collegium String Quartet: Ilona Klusaitė - v, Dalia Aleksandravičienė - v, Žaneta Janonienė - va, Vilija Paliokaitė - vc
Vilnius Recording Studio VSCD-089, 2001 (CD)

In compilations

Birštonas-82
"Maiden Voyage"
Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Arvydas Jofė - dr
Melodija C60 19021 006, 1983 (LP)

Birštonas-86 (1)
"Everything But You"
Marina Granovskaya - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g
"Second Evening in Birstonas"
Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Aleksandr Dvorakovsky - dr
"Bli-Blip"
Marina Granovskaya - voc, Steponas Januška - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Aleksandr Dvorakovsky - dr
Melodija C60 25055 001, 1987 (LP)

Birštonas-86 (2)
"Moon Glow" / "Blue Horizon"
Pranas Narušis - cl, Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Aleksandr Dvorakovsky - dr
Melodija C60 25057 004, 1987 (LP)

Birštonas-88 (2)
"Composition on a Theme by Ellington" / "Medley: Jean Pierre, You're Under Arrest, Then There Were None"
Steponas Januška - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Eugenijus Zutkevičius - dr
Melodija C60 27927 003, 1988 (LP)

The Great Parade of Musicians 2000
"Tango Nuevo"
Petras Vyšniauskas - sax, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Gintaras Balčiūnas - acc, Collegium String Quartet: Ilona Klusaitė - v, Dalia Aleksandravičienė - v, Žaneta Janonienė - va, Vilija Paliokaitė - vc
Lithuanian Musicians' Union LMSMBCD-010, 2000 (CD)

The Great Parade of Musicians 2002
"Springtime Mood"
Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
Lithuanian Musicians' Union LMSMBCD-034, 2002 (CD)

Lithuanian Jazz 1929-1980
"Marjo"
Saulius Šiaučiulis Quartet: Vytautas Grubliauskas - tp, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Arvydas Jofė - dr
Semplice SECD011, 2003 (CD)

Lithuanian Jazz 1980-1990
"Blue Horizon"
Pranas Narušis - cl, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Jaroslavas Cechanovičius - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Vyacheslav Kononov - dr
"Bli-Blip"
Marina Granovskaya - voc, Steponas Januška - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g, Romualdas Malinauskas - b, Aleksandr Dvorakovsky - dr
"Everything But You"
Marina Granovskaya - voc, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p, Aleksandras Dunis - g
Semplice SECD014, 2005 (CD)

As a performer of academic music

Gold Disc 2004
Rimvydas Žigaitis. "Morning Melody"
Antanas Smolskus - birbynė, Petras Vyšniauskas - sax, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
Lithuanian Musicians' Union LMSMBCD-066, 2004 (CD)

Aukuras
Choir "Aukuras", cond. Alfonsas Vildžiūnas, Saulius Šiaučiulis - p
Lithuanian Musicians' Union LMSMBCD-071, 2005 (CD)