The winner of the Herbert von Karajan Fund International Competition in West Berlin (1985), Gintaras Rinkevicius makes his United Kingdom debut by conducting Carmen at the Scotish National Opera in Glasgow in May 2006.
The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow invited Gintaras Rinkevicius to conduct the premier and eight following performances of the new production of ballet Romeo and Julia in December 2003. His success in this production led immediately to participation in Queen of Spades and La Boheme on the Bolshoi‘s stage in 2005 and 2006.
In 2002, Gintaras Rinkevicius was appointed the chief conductor of the Malmo Opera. Until 2005 at this opera house he conducted Aida, Rigoletto and Otello, Turandot , Richard Strauss‘ Ariadne auf Naxos, Eugene Onegin.
Since 1988 Gintaras Rinkevicius has been the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra. In March 2002, he made a great tour with this ensemble to France, Netherlands, Luxemburg and Germany.
In October 1996, Gintaras Rinkevicius became the Music Director of Latvian National Opera in Riga.
In 1997, he received the National Music Award of the Republic of Latvia. The very successful premier in Riga was Verdi‘s Aida staged in January-February 1998. In 1999 he has given several other premiers in Latvian National Opera. In 2000, together with the others he received one more National Music Award of Latvia for the staging of Eugene Onegin.
Gintaras Rinkevicius has been performing with such soloists as Violetta Urmana, Sergei Larin, Matti Salminen, Gidon Kremer, Piter Donohoe, David Geringas, Yuri Bashmet, Natalia Gutman, Oleg Kagan.In October 1998, Gintaras Rinkevicius made his debut at the Gothenburg Opera (Sweden) and the next season he conducted Carmen there.
In 1999, he was also invited by Oslo Opera (Norway).
Born 1960 in Vilnius, Lithuania, Gintaras Rinkevicius graduated both St. Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories.