Mayor of Klaipėda

VYTAUTAS GRUBLIAUSKAS

Born in Klaipeda, Lithuania, on 1 December 1956.

6/1980 – graduated from the Lithuanian State Conservatoire Klaipėda Faculties, Department of Popular Music, majoring in trumpet.

10/11/1980–10/5/1982 – served in the Soviet Army as the soloist and concertmaster of the exemplary Baltic Headquarters orchestra in Riga, Latvia.

5/1982–8/1984 – soloist in the Lithuanian State Philharmonic Society ensemble Nerija.

8/1983 – received an award as the best instrumentalist at The Baltic Youth festival.

9/1984–9/1987 – soloist and concertmaster of the big band at the Klaipėda Faculty of Lithuanian State Conservatoire.

9/1987–6/1994 – lecturer at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire Klaipėda Faculty, Department of Popular Music.

9/1984–11/2004 – soloist at Klaipėda Dixie Land (later renamed Memel Swingers and in 1996, Doudi Jazz Band). In 7/1993, elected the leader of the Dixie Land.

6/1994–6/2000 – the Chair of the Lithuanian State Conservatoire Klaipėda Faculties (Klaipėda University as of 10/1995), Department of Popular Music.

6/2000–9/2004 – the Chair of Klaipeda University Department of Jazz Music.

Since 5/1989, has performed in a great many prestigious international jazz festivals in the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Poland, Latvia, Russia and all international jazz festivals organized in Lithuania, as well as at different concerts all over the home country.

5/1995 – recognised as the best trumpet player in Eastern Europe by German music agencies.

6/1994–11/2004 – promoter, leader of and participant in the International Klaipėda Castle Jazz Festival.

7/1984–11/2003 – soloist of the famous professional wind orchestra Bangpūtys and the orchestra of the Lithuanian Navy.

In 9/1996, established Klaipeda Jazz Club, sat as its President until 10/2004.

In 12/1997, was elected the most popular figure of art and culture in Klaipėda.

4/2000 – elected as a member of Klaipėda City Council.

5/2000 – was awarded the educational rank of associate professor of Klaipėda University.

11/2004 – was elected to the Lithuanian Parliament as a member of the Lithuanian Liberal Centre Party.

On 1/8/2005, Vytautas Grubliauskas was granted the honorary title of Klaipėda’s Master of Culture.

2/2006–11/2018 – a member of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement.

In 11/2008, he was re-elected to the Lithuanian Parliament. Over his years at the Parliament, he sat on the Commission of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, Information Society Development Committee, Maritime and Fishery Affairs Commission, was a member of inter-parliamentary relations groups with the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Latvia, Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Swiss Confederation, and was Deputy Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Group with the United States of America.

On 12 April 2011, he was elected Mayor of Klaipėda. On 16 April 2015, he was re-elected Mayor of Klaipėda for a second term, and on 17 March 2019, for a third term.

He and his wife Inga Grubliauskienė have son Vytautas (born in 2009) and daughter Elzė (born in 2004), and are raising Inga’s children from the first marriage: daughter Saulė (born in 2000), son Žilvinas (born in 1998), as well as Agnė (born in 1985), who is Vytautas Grubliauskas’s daughter from his first marriage.