Jurgis Karnavichius was a Lithuanian classical music artist who was born on January 1, 1920, in the small town of Radviliškis, Lithuania. He was the youngest of six children in his family, and his parents were both musicians. His father played the violin, and his mother was a pianist. From a young age, Karnavichius showed a great interest in music, and his parents encouraged him to pursue his passion. Karnavichius began his musical education at the age of six, when he started taking piano lessons from his mother. He quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument, and by the age of ten, he was already performing in public. In 1930, he entered the Kaunas Conservatory, where he studied piano under the guidance of Professor Juozas Karosas. He graduated from the conservatory in 1939 with honors. After completing his studies, Karnavichius began his professional career as a concert pianist. He quickly gained a reputation as one of the most talented young pianists in Lithuania, and he was soon invited to perform in concerts throughout the country. In 1940, he won first prize in the National Piano Competition in Kaunas, which further cemented his reputation as a rising star in the world of classical music. However, Karnavichius' career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. In 1941, Lithuania was occupied by Nazi Germany, and Karnavichius was forced to flee the country. He spent the next few years living in various countries in Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Italy. During this time, he continued to perform in concerts whenever he could, but his career was severely limited by the war. After the war ended, Karnavichius returned to Lithuania and resumed his career as a concert pianist. He quickly regained his reputation as one of the country's most talented musicians, and he was soon invited to perform in concerts throughout Europe. In 1947, he won first prize in the International Piano Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, which further cemented his reputation as one of the world's top pianists. Over the next few years, Karnavichius continued to perform in concerts throughout Europe and the United States. He was particularly renowned for his interpretations of the works of Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart. In 1955, he was invited to perform at the prestigious Salzburg Festival in Austria, where he received rave reviews for his performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5. Throughout his career, Karnavichius received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the world of classical music. In addition to his victory at the International Piano Competition in Geneva, he also won first prize at the International Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1950. He was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Art in 1965, and he was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1970. Karnavichius continued to perform in concerts and record albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was particularly renowned for his interpretations of the works of Lithuanian composers, and he was instrumental in promoting the music of his homeland to audiences around the world. He also served as a professor of piano at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he trained a new generation of talented musicians. Jurgis Karnavichius passed away on December 26, 1987, at the age of 67.

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