Vytautas Landsbergis
Biography

Politician, Musicologist, and Professor Vytautas Landsbergis was born on October 18, 1932 in Kaunas, Lithuania. Currently a Lithuanian conservative politician and Member of the European Parliament, Landsbergis entered politics in 1988 as one of the founders of Sajudis, the Lithuanian pro-independence political movement. He is well known his pivotal role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. He was the first head of state of Lithuania after the country became the first Soviet Republic to declare autonomy from the Russia (1990-1992), and was a signatory of the Act of the Restoration of the Independent Statehood of Lithuania. Landsbergis was also Chairman for the New Constitution of the Lithuanian Republic.

Landsbergis’ father was renowned architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Zemkalnis and his mother was opthalmologist Ona Jablonskyt-Landsbergiene. He graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music (now Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater) in 1955, and went on to defend his doctoral dissertation in 1969. From 1978 to 1990, he was a professor of music history at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, and in 1994 he defended his thesis of doctor habilis at the institution. He has written numerous books throughout his career that cover the fields of music, art, and politics including monographs on the work of Lithuanian artist and composer M.K. Ciurlionis. He continues to be president of the M.K. Ciurlionis Society.

Landsbergis’ artistic endeavors extended briefly to Fluxus in the early 1960s, when he participated three times in Fluxus mail art events while still living in Lithuania. He was a close childhood friend of Fluxus founder George Maciunas, and the two attended the same grade school in Kaunas. In a letter from December 5, 1963 that was sent to Maciunas who was living in the United States at the time, Landsbergis outlined some ideas for Fluxus performances. Communication between the two men continued through 1978 when Maciunas was dying and had entrusted his part of correspondence to artist and fellow Lithuanian Jonas Mekas.

Throughout his career, Landsbergis has received many honors for his contributions to Lithuanian Independence including the Norwegian People’s Peace Prize, the Foundation du Future (France), and the International Freedom Foundation’s (UK) 1991 Freedom Award. In 1992, he received the Herman Ehlers Prize, and in 1994, the 9-th International Ramon Liull Prize of the Catalonian Culture Congress Foundation. He was also esteemed with the UNESCO Medal for developing democracy and fighting for human rights.

Landsbergis also holds a Doctor of Law from Loyola University in Chicago, a Doctor of Humanities from Weber State University in Ogden, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas. In 1992, Yale University bestowed him with an honorary degree of Doctor of Law.

Vytautas Landsbergis is married to Mrs. Grazina Rucyte – Landsbergiene, a well-known Lithuanian pianist and Associate Professor of the Lithuanian Academy of Music, and they have three children. Daughters Jurate and Birute are also musicians, and his son Vytautas is a writer and filmmaker.