A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, BRIAN VILIUNAS is an esteemed clarinetist, conductor and educator, holding the appointments of Associate Professor Music and Orchestra Director at the Samford University School of the Arts in Birmingham, Alabama.
Brian Viliunas received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, subsequently earning his Master of Music from Rice University and his Doctor of Musical Arts from Arizona State University. Earlier, he was a prize winner in the International Clarinet Association Young Artist Competition, later becoming the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to the Grieg Academy in Bergen, Norway.
As an ensemble member, Brian Viliunas has performed under distinguished conductors Andrew Litton, Lorin Maazel, Carlos Miguel Prieto and Benjamin Zander and with orchestras in Alabama, Houston and Racine. While living in Norway, he played with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Of special note: During his membership in the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, he was principal clarinetist on its DVD recording of Verdi’s Requiem, under the baton of Placido Domingo. Dr. Viliunas was the principal clarinetist of the The Phoenix Opera, and currently serves in that position for Arizona Opera.
Conducting full productions of opera and musical theatre, Brian Viliunas’ credits include 1776: The Musical, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Hansel und Gretel, Into the Woods, Jane Eyre, Le nozze di Figaro, A Little Night Music, The Pajama Game, The Pirates of Penzance and White Christmas. Heconducted the world premiere of Evan Mack’s The Ghosts of Gatsby, an opera commissioned by Samford University.
Brian Viliunas has issued two CDs: “German & French Clarinet ; Piano Classics,” featuring themusic of Brahms, Poulenc and Bizet (available from CDbaby and Amazon) and Agents of Espionage, aPotenza Music album, comprised of commissioned scores by Zachary J. Bramble, Mark Lackey and Ryan Springler.
Brian Viliunas is a Buffet Clarinet Artist, performing exclusively on R-13 Greenline clarinets, a BGFrance ligature artist performing on the BG Duo, and an official D’Addario Performing Artist.
