Dušan Sodja studied clarinet with Alojz Zupan at the Ljubljana Academy of Music and at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Alois Brandhofer (Solo Clarinet of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) where he was awarded a Master’s degree. He attended masterclasses with Gerald Pachinger (Wiener Symphoniker), Vincenzo Mariozzi and Jiri Hlavač.
He has given concerts in Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and the USA and has performed as a soloist with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Darmstadt State Opera, Bogdan Warchal Slovak Chamber Orchestra, Cappella Istropolitana and Celje String Orchestra. In 1992 he was first clarinetist in the Youth Symphony Orchestra in Bayreuth, and a year later also in the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra in France.
The performance of Mozart’s Concerto brought him the Student’s Academy Prize “Prešeren” in 1995. From 2001 to 2005 Dušan Sodja was lecturing at “Junge Kärntner Bläserphilharmonie” in Austria. Since 2006 he has given masterclasses at “OrkesterKamp” summercourses (Slovenija) for symphony and winds orchestras. He is clarinetist of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and teacher at the Conservatory of Music in Ljubljana.
Dušan Foltýn (1963) graduated from the Conservatory in Ostrava and the Prague Academy of Arts.
During his study he took part in numerous national and international competitions:
1980 Concertino Praga (2nd Prize and the Honours of the Laureate)
1981 Conservatories’ Competition Display (1st Prize)
1986 Prague Spring International Competition (2nd Prize and the Honours of the Laureate)
1988 Competition of Czech Contemporary Music (1st Prize and the Honours of the Absolute Prize -winner).
At the present time he is the principal oboist of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava and he is the head of the Department of Wind Instruments at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Ostrava University. There organises an international oboe workshop toghether with world leading oboists (R. Killmer – USA, O. Zoboli – Switzerland, N. A. King – USA, G. Hunt – England, E. Rombout – Holland, D. Walter – France).
Dusan Foltýn is a member of the wind qunitet „Musica per cinque“ with which he became a finalist at the International Competition of Wind Qunitets in Belgrade (Serbia) in 1987.
Like soloist he is cooperating with prominent Czech orchestras.
He was few times Jury member of oboe competitions (Prague Spring International Oboe Competition, Concertino Praga, Pro Bohemia etc.).
Dušan Foltýn performs at the concerts both inland and abroad (Poland, Austria, Slovakia, France, Germany, Spain, Greece).
Giedrius Gelgotas. In 1996, completed M. K. Čiurlionis Art Gymnasium (under teacher Jefimijus Taškinas), and in 2003, he graduated from Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (under Prof. Valentinas Gelgotas), where he acquired both his Bachelor’s as well as Master’s Degrees. In 2002-2003, the musician studied in London (England) under the guidance of one of the most prominent flute professors William Bennett. During the years 2006-2007, Gelgotas studied at University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Austria) under Prof. Barbara Gisler-Haase. Also, the performer has taken part in master-classes in various countries of the world given by such famous professors as Emmanuel Pahud, Wolfgang Schulz, Jeffrey Khaner, Phillipa Davies, Lóránt Kovács, Carsten Husted, Christian Larde, Ian Clarke, Jean-Claude Gerard and Barbara Gisler-Haase. In year 2010 Giedrius Gelgotas has gained his PhD degree at the Lithuanian Academy of Music.
Has won the 2nd and the 3rd prizes at the Juozas Pakalnis National Young Performers Competition, the 1st prize at the National Yamaha Competition, and the 2nd prize at the Jurjanu Andrejs International Wind-Instruments Competition (Latvia). The musician was awarded the diploma at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Competition in St. Petersburg (Russia). Moreover, the artist has participated at the Illzach International Chamber Music Competition (France), where together with the Lithuanian Flute Quartet he was awarded the 3rd prize, a special prize for the best performance of a contemporary piece and a special award of the jury. Together with the St. Christopher Quintet Giedrius Gelgotas has won the 1st prize and a special award at the Henri Tomasi International Competition for Woodwind Quintets in Marseille (France).
Has performed both as a soloist and a member of chamber ensembles in various national festivals in Vilnius, Kaunas, Pažaislis, Biržai, Palanga, and Druskininkai. The musician has taken part in such festivals as Gaida, Sugrįžimai, Baroko kelias, Musica Ficta (Latvia), and FIMU (France). Also, the artist has participated at the international educational music festival Pacific Music Festival (Japan) and the International Bach Academy Stuttgart Festival (Germany).
Giedrius Gelgotas is the member and the founder of the Lithuanian Flute Quartet and the St. Christopher Woodwind Quintet. Together with the quintet the musician recorded a compact disc in 2005. Moreover, in 2006, Gelgotas recorded a sonata for the flute and the piano (with pianist Indrė Baikštytė) for a compact disc by Lithuanian composer Faustas Latėnas. The musician has made numerous recordings for the Lithuanian National Radio, and has played solo with the Lithuanian State Symphony, the Lithuanian Chamber and the St. Christopher orchestras. As a soloist and a member of various chamber ensembles the artist has performed many pieces composed personally for him. Also, as a soloist and a member of various ensembles Giedrius Gelgotas has given concerts in such countries as Japan, Egypt, the USA, Armenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Latvia, Russia and etc. The musician has been awarded the letters of gratitude from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Lithuania, the Municipality of Vilnius City and the President of Lithuania.
Since 1996 Giedrius Gelgotas start to play at the Lithuanian. National Opera orchestra, 2006-2008 he was invited to work as professors assistant at the William Bennett International Summer-School. 2007-2008 – principal flutist at the Cairo (Egypt) National Opera House orchestra, 2009 – flutist at Barcelona (Spain) symphony orchestra. 2010-2015 principal flutist at the Lithuanian National Opera orchestra. Since 2015 – co-principal flutist at the Lithuanian National Filharmony Symphony orchestra and flute professor at the music academy of Vytauto Didžiojo University.