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Benjaminas Želvys (baritone) was born in Marijampolė on May 1, 1956. He studied at J.Jablonskis Secondary School and later at the 5th Secondary School
In 1986 he graduated from the Lithuanian State Conservatory (now Academy of Music and Theatre), where he studied solo singing under the supervision of the famous singer Geham Grigorian. In the same year he started working at Kaunas State Musical Theatre, where he created roles in operas, operettas and musicals.
Together with other soloists of the theatre B.Želvys has prepared many concert programs, participated in concerts in Cuba, Poland, the USA, Finland, Hungary, Russia. He has sung in recordings of the Lithuanian Radio and Television, has prepared solo programmes. B.Želvys worked as a vocal teacher at Marijampolė Children’s Music School.
In 1995 B.Želvys and colleagues G.Maciulevičius and D.Vėbra founded a show company “Baritone Trio” and is an active promoter of the light genres of the scene music – operetta and musical. Several tapes and compact disks of this music have been issued.
Since 2002 the artist and his colleagues have been organizing the international festival of operetta “Operetta in Kaunas Castle”, which became an annual event. In 2004 B.Želvys became the President of the Operetta Club in Kaunas.
In 2005 Benjaminas Želvys became the General Manager of Kaunas State Musical Theatre.
In 2005 Kaunas City Council awarded B.Želvys with Santaka (Confluence) sign of honour of 3rd degree for merits to Kaunas city. In 2007 B.Želvys was awarded with the state order medal "For Merits to Lithuania".
Roles
Tony. Opera by G.C.Menotti “Help, Help, the Globolinks! (1986),
Bob. Musical tragic comedy by G.Cabadze “My Crazy Brother” (1987),
Kromov. Operetta by F.Lehar “Merry Widow” (1988),
Achilles. Operetta by J.Offenbach “Beautiful Helen” (1989),
Bug. Opera-ballet by V.Kuprevičius “Grasshopper and Ants” (1989),
Mustafa-Bey. Operetta by P.Abraham “Ball in Savoy” (1990),
Marul. Opera by G.Verdi “Rigoletto” (1991),
Bony. Operetta by E.Kalman “Silva” (1992),
Falke. Operetta by J.Strauss “Bat” (1993),
Tony. Operetta by E.Kalman “Circus Princess” (1995),
Felice. Operetta by F.Lehar “Paganini” (1996),
Ferry. Operetta by P.Abraham “Victoria” (1996),
Pluto. Operetta by J.Offenbach “Orpheus in Hell” (1997),
Max Detvailer. Musical by R.Rodgers “Music Sounds” (1998),
Matier. Opera by U.Giordan “Andre Shenier” (1999),
Priest. Musical by J.Kander “Zorba” (introduction),
Eunuch. Operetta by F.Lehar “Land of Smiles” (2000),
Masachio. Operetta by K.Millöcker “Gasparone” (2001),
Boletus. Opera-parody by Z.Bružaitė “War and Peace of Mushrooms” (2001),
Delkva. Operetta by J.Strauss “A Night in Venice” (2001),
Valerhaim. Operetta by E.Kalman “Silva” (introduction, 2002),
Gregorio. Opera by Ch.Gounod “Romeo and Juliet” (2003),
Lipshic. Kaunas operetta by G.Kuprevičius “Kipras, Fiodoras and Others” (2003),
Fillip. Operetta by E.Kalman “Bajadere”, 2004,
Advisor. Musical by G.Gladkov “Bremen's Musicians”, 2004,
Father. Opera by T.Kutavičius, V.Palčinskaitė “Dwarf Nose”, 2005,
Musical by Cole Porter "Kiss Me, Kate", 2007.
Prepared according to KMT info.
