Vykintas Baltakas is a graduateof the Hochschule für MusikKarlsruhe and of the InternationalEötvös Institute. In 1997, hefollowed the composition coursegiven byEmmanuel Nunes at theConservatoire National Supérieurde Musique et de Danse de Paris.
He impressed at a number of national and internationalcompetitions, including theYouth Conductors’ Competition(2nd Prize – Kaunas – 1990), theExtreme conductors’ course(prizewinner –Mürzzuschlag –1993), the Concours Internationalde Piano XXe siècle d’Orléans(Composition Prize for Pasaka for Piano and Tape – 2002), andthe Bad Homburger Conductors’Competition (2nd Prize – 2002).Other distinctions receivedinclude the Claudio AbbadoCompositionPrize (2003), theAward for Best Lithuanian MusicTheatre Piece for Cantio (2004)and the Ernst von SiemensGrants-in-aid Prize (2007).
Among the orchestras andensembles he has conducted arethe Bavarian Radio SymphonyOrchestra, the DeutschesSymphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Rundfunk-SinfonieorchesterBerlin, Ensemble Modern, andKlangforum Wien.
His music has been played byrenowned musicians at the majorfestivals: for example, Poussla atthe MaerzMusik festival in Berlinin 2002, Ouroboros – Zyklus Iplayed atthe Witten festival byKlangforum Wien in 2005, and(how does the silver cloud s)ou(nd?) at the Festival Musica inStrasbourg in 2006. B(ell tree) waspremiered by theArditti Quartetin 2007, Lift to Dubai by EnsembleModern in 2009, and Scoria by theMünchner Rundfunkorchester atthe Musica Viva Festival in 2010.