Modestas Pitrėnas is one of the most successful Lithuanian conductors of his generation. He has already established himself internationally through his extensive symphonic concert activities and opera conducting. Having made his debut conducting Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Oper Köln, he has since worked at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bolshoi Theatre (Moscow), Polish National Opera, Aalto Theater (Essen), Staatsoper Stuttgart, Finnish National Opera and Theater Basel.

Pitrėnas has held the positions of Chief Conductor of Lithuania’s Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Latvian National Opera, and he is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, based in Vilnius. Since 2018 Pitrėnas has been Chief Conductor of the Sinfonieorchester St Gallen and the Theater St Gallen.

Following studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum, Pitrėnas undertook two degrees at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre—first in choral conducting (graduating in 1997), and then in orchestral conducting (2003) with Professor Juozas Domarkas. From 2002 to 2004 he studied for a Licentiate in Music, participating in seminars and masterclasses held by famous conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jorma Panula and Helmuth Rilling. He has released over ten albums of choral, symphonic and operatic repertoire.

In recognition of his interpretation of classical and contemporary Lithuanian music, Pitrėnas was awarded the Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize in 2012.