A Creator Evoking Empathy

An Interview with Opera Soloist Gabriele Bukinė

By Elvina Baužaitė

Exploring the intricate narratives of Puccini’s operas and delving into their ideas and the meanings of inner resonance, we speak with Gabriele Bukinė, who portrays Mimi in La Bohème at KVMT and Suor Angelica in the LNOBT productions... Learn More

Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème – An Opera About the Longing for Love

...I am delighted that the director views Mimi not just as a fleeting yet beautiful ‘flower’ of love but rather places the emphasis on the search for connection, unity, and identity... Learn More

From a Small Town to Prima Donna: An Opera Soloist’s Dreams Come True as if by Magic Wand

By Asta Andrikonytė, “Lietuvos rytas”

Just a few years after completing her vocal studies, Kaunas State Musical Theatre soloist Gabrielė Bukinė is already stepping into the roles of prima donnas on the stage of the country’s largest theater... Learn More

Gabrielė Bukinė on Her Love for Her Husband Donatas Since Adolescence and a Dream Come True: “It Might Not Have Worked Out”

Remigija Paulikaitė

Although I never think about possible nominations when creating roles, such recognition warms the heart—it feels like a kind of gratitude for the work invested. I am very happy that effort and dedication to the profession are being noticed. We performers often, consciously or unconsciously, push our personal lives aside, only to later ask ourselves whether it is worth it. I try to find a balance: not to drift into madness, but also not to sit on the sofa waiting for something to happen… Learn More

Gabrielė Bukinė: Being an Artist Means Not Only Creating, but Also Defending Oneself Against Society’s Expectations

Elvina Baužaitė, lrt.lt

The Kaunas State Musical Theatre opened its season with this premiere. Created in cooperation between KSMT and the Estonian concert organization PromFest, the production marks the first performance of this work in Lithuania. We speak with G. Bukinė, who created the leading role of Adriana Lecouvreur and also initiated the opera’s staging… Learn More

Creativity Requires Liberation

A Conversation with Opera Soloist Gabrielė Bukinė

Elvina Baužaitė

…Therefore, the main challenge for us theatre artists is the ability to remain calm amid all this noise—to learn, to prepare, to create without haste. It is about being here and now, something that is increasingly lacking in everyday life. It is about the beauty of music and about the fact that theatre, paradoxically, becomes a truer reality than our increasingly virtual daily existence… Learn More

Gabrielė Bukinė: Dream Roles Often Hide Where You Least Expect Them

Justina Paltanavičiūtė

Adriana Lecouvreur did not appear on the Lithuanian opera stage by chance—the decision to stage this particular opera was made by Gabrielė Bukinė herself, who performs the leading role in the production. The Adriana Lecouvreur presented today at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre is dedicated to World Opera Day, celebrated annually on October 25. On the eve of the performance, we spoke with G. Bukinė about what captivated her about this opera, what Gabrielė and Adriana—two stage talents from different eras—have in common, how G. Bukinė’s role-creation process unfolds, and how dream roles find their way to her… Learn More

La Traviata” Returns to the LNOBT Stage with Long-Awaited Debuts

At the special La Traviata performance on the evening of December 31, audiences will hear as many as three recipients of the Golden Stage Cross awards from recent years. Gabrielė Bukinė, who will sing the role of Violetta, received her Golden Stage Cross in the spring of 2025. Rapidly rising into the elite of Lithuanian opera, the singer frequently delights audiences in both Vilnius and Kaunas theatres with her magnificent voice…Learn More

How Many Different Lives We Get to Try On…

Žaneta SKERSYTĖ

When talent merges with an unbreakable will, remarkable personalities emerge — people capable of changing the world of art. Gabrielė Bukinė is one of them. The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre named her Soloist of the Year, and soon afterwards came one of the highest honours in Lithuanian theatre — the Golden Stage Cross. Gabrielė received this prestigious award for a series of memorable roles: the tender Mimì in La Bohème, the dramatic Sister Angelica in Suor Angelica, and the fragile Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann.Yet, in conversation with this highly successful soprano, one thing becomes clear: none of it has come easily. Behind every accolade lie long hours of rehearsal and demanding artistic exploration. Gabrielė does not choose the easiest path — she goes where it is difficult but worthwhile, where she can continue to grow both as an artist and as a person. And today, she wants even more: new artistic challenges and new heights to conquer… Learn more

Gabrielė Bukinė Makes Her Debut in Madama Butterfly

The upcoming performances of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT) promise several exciting debuts. Gabrielė Bukinė, winner of the Golden Stage Cross for two consecutive years, will perform the role of Cio-Cio-San for the first time, while tenors Karolis Kašiuba and Tomas Pavilionis will make their debuts as Pinkerton. The production will also mark the first time that Martynas Stakionis, the theatre’s Artistic Director of Opera, conducts the work at LNOBT.I n the two decades since Anthony Minghella’s production premiered in Vilnius, only three Lithuanian opera singers have performed the role of Cio-Cio-San on the LNOBT stage: Irena Zelenkauskaitė, Sandra Janušaitė and Viktorija Miškūnaitė. Soon, a fourth name will join them — Gabrielė Bukinė, making her debut in the opera… Learn more

Golden Stage Cross Laureates Announced

The Professional Performing Arts Evaluation Commission selected the laureates in eighteen categories of the Golden Stage Cross Awards. The awards for achievements in 2025 were presented on March 27 — World Theatre Day — at the State Youth Theatre.

FEMALE / MALE SOLOIST
• Gabrielė Bukinė for the role of Adriana in Adriana Lecouvreur (Kaunas State Musical Theatre, Estonian International Opera Festival PromFest); Learn more