Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) is an internationally recognized higher education institution, which trains artists for a professional career in music, theatre, dance, and film. Specializing in art education, the Academy also offers the didactics of music disciplines, art management, and art research studies, which, combined with artistic and creative practice, make the Academy's profile distinguished.
Academy is beautifully situated in the center of Vilnius and currently owns six buildings. Facilities include three Concert Halls, two Dance Studios, Cinema Hall, Theatre Studio (Balkono tetras), Opera Studio, Music Library, Music Innovation Study Centre, and Folk Music Archive.
Student-centered teaching and learning, research and artistic research, artistic practice and creation, performance, improvisation, and collaboration with creative industries shift the Academy towards open innovation and constant development.
Degree studies in Music (Music Performance, Composition, Sound Directing, Musical Folklore, Music Theory, and Criticism), Theatre and Film (Acting, Cinematography, Screenwriting, Film Directing, Theatre Directing, History, and Criticism of Performing and Film Arts), Dance (classical and contemporary), Pedagogy (Didactics of Music, Music Pedagogy), Art Studies (Arts Management), and Music Therapy are available. See Course Catalogue for a full list of bachelor and master programs. Since the year 2011, Academy offers artistic doctorate (4-year third-cycle studies).
Every year the Academy hosts about four hundred concerts, competitions, festivals, and other artistic events that are open to the public, free entrance. Research, artistic research, and educational achievements are being presented at international conferences and published in scientific journals of LMTA. Founded in 1933, currently, LMTA trains about 900 students in 40 art disciplines.
The history of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre is an inseparable part of music education in Lithuania. Professional musical development in the country began during Lithuania's great duke Vytautas Magnus when in 1397, a school of the chant was formed at Vilnius Cathedral. The publication of songbooks started in the 16th century. Some hymns were included in the first book published in the Lithuanian language – "Katekizmas" by Martynas Mažvydas (1547). In 1667 Žygimantas Liauksminas published a primer of the Gregorian chant "Ars et praxis musical." Some music schools – "bursts" had been formed during the 16th – 17th centuries, where singing and instrumentation for ecclesiastic orchestras were taught. Private music schools were established in Vilnius, Kaunas, and other towns at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 1919 composer Juozas Naujalis founded the music school of Kaunas. This school was acknowledged as a school of higher education and, in 1933, was reorganized into the Conservatoire of Kaunas. 1933 is therefore considered to be the founding year of the current Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. In 1949 the Conservatoire of Kaunas and the Conservatoire of Vilnius (founded in 1945) were merged into the Lithuanian State Conservatoire. In 1992 the Conservatoire was renamed the Lithuanian Academy of Music (LMA) and in 2004 – the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA).
The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre is an art university that specializes in music, theatre, film, and dance with the mission to ensure sustainable development of arts and artistic research, participate in shaping the policy of the national art education and culture, foster the spiritual harmony and the national identity, and educate the most artistically gifted young people into creative, initiative, entrepreneurial members of the society who would be open to Lithuania and the entire world.
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