Vestards Šimkus
| Vestards Šimkus | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 August 1984 |
| Origin | Jūrmala, Latvian SSR |
| Genres | Classical music |
| Occupation(s) | composer, pianist |
| Years active | 1990s– |
Vestards Šimkus (born August 21, 1984 in Jūrmala) is a Latvian pianist and composer.
He won the 2001 International Performers Competition in Stockholm, the 2002 Los Angeles' Liszt Competition and the 2009 Maria Canals International Music Competition, and was awarded the Latvian Grand Music Award in 2002. He has performed through Europe and the United States since 1998.
Šimkus started to play piano in age of 5. He studied in Emīls Dārziņš Music School in Riga. Later he studied in University of Southern California under Daniel Pollack. He also has studied under Lazar Berman and Igor Zhukov. In 2002–06 he studied in Queen Sophia music academy in Madrid under professor Dmitri Bashkirov. After Bashkirov's invitation in 2003 he also participated in his master class in Savonlinna, Finland. Šimkus also has studied composition for five years under Pēteris Vasks. Today he continues his studies in R. Strauss conservatory in Munich under Vadim Suhanov. In 2012 Šimkus married the opera singer Elīna Volkmane.
He was decorated the Order of the White Star in 2005.