Hello, I'm Leo. Saxophonist, composer and a teacher.

I’m Leonardas Pilkauskas – playing saxophone (flute and clarinet), composer, arranger, educator, leader, and producer. I was born (1984) in Vilnius, the capital and oldest known city in Lithuania.

This little country in the East- Europe, whose ancient language is most closely related to Sanskrit (a historical Indo-Aryan language), declared independence in 1990 after undergoing a long-term history ruled by foreign occupations. Mostly agricultural roots and extensive mythology similar to Norse traditions are Lithuanian identities, forward-thinking and artistic present generations are the future of nation spread that is spread all over the world.

I began my musical education when I was six years old in the M. K. Čiurlionis School Of Arts. Finished it in the year 2002 (the class of Albinas Guželis).

I made entrance exams to my first bachelor’s degree in Lithuanian Music and Theater Academy (LMTA) –  started as a classical saxophonist (the class of Aleksandras Fedotovas) and began attending an elective improvisation course at a class of Artūras Anusauskas. Shortly after I became busy playing various jazz music events and after three years of classical studies I switched to a jazz saxophone class of Liudas Mockūnas. After a year, in 2006 I received a bachelor’s diploma as a jazz performer.

Then, immediately after (in 2006), I moved to the Netherlands, to start my studies in Den Haag, Royal Conservatory of Music where I finished my second bachelor’s degree (in 2010, the main teacher John Ruocco). I decided n to move on, to Amsterdam, and after further studies in Amsterdam Conservatory, I obtained a Master’s degree (in 2012, main teacher Jasper Blom).

Since then I moved to Vilnius where I prosper in various projects of different styles of music, ranging from classical to hybrid-pop music orchestras or my jazz projects.

The important part of my life is teaching at Šiuolaikinės Mokyklos Centras (Contemporary School Centre) since 2012. There I conduct, mentor and write scores for amazing children orchestra called “Šimc Jazz Band”.