SINGERS from Lithuania

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Lithuanian Singers of all time. This list of famous Lithuanian Singers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Lithuanian Singers.

1. Teresa Żylis-Gara (1930 - 2021)

With an HPI of 53.61, Teresa Żylis-Gara is the most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.

Teresa Żylis-Gara (23 January 1930 – 28 August 2021) was a Polish operatic soprano who enjoyed a major international career from the 1950s through the 1990s. She made her stage debut at the Opera Krakowska in 1958 in the title role of Moniuszko's Halka, and later recorded Chopin's Polish songs and songs by Karol Szymanowski. After achieving 3rd prize at the ARD International Music Competition in 1960, she became an ensemble member of the Oper Dortmund and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. She was recognised internationally when she appeared at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1965 in the title role of Der Rosenkavalier, alongside Montserrat Caballé, and two years later as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni. From 1970, she was a long-time member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where she appeared in leading roles including Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, and Puccini's Mimì, Liù and Manon Lescaut. She performed a broad repertoire both on stage as in concert and recital, adjusting flexibly to music from different periods. Her unique voice was described as "both bright and substantial, which means that she can convey the intensity of emotion". She was awarded honorary doctorates, the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Legion of Honour, and a sculpture in a public Polish park.

2. Al Jolson (1886 - 1950)

With an HPI of 52.33, Al Jolson is the 2nd most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson Yiddish: אַסאַ יואלסאָן; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer". Jolson was known for his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach" towards performing, as well as for popularizing many of the songs he sang. Jolson has been referred to by modern critics as "the king of blackface performers". Although best remembered today as the star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927), he starred in a series of successful musical films during the 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he was the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with The Jolson Story (1946), in which Larry Parks played the younger Jolson, but with sung vocals dubbed by Jolson himself. The formula was repeated in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). In 1950, he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. He died weeks after returning to the U.S., partly owing to the physical exhaustion from the performance schedule. Defense Secretary George Marshall posthumously awarded him the Medal for Merit. According to music historian Larry Stempel, "No one had heard anything quite like it before on Broadway." Stephen Banfield wrote that Jolson's style was "arguably the single most important factor in defining the modern musical." With his dynamic style of singing jazz and blues, he became widely successful by extracting traditionally African-American music and popularizing it for white American audiences who would be unwilling to listen to it when performed by black artists. Despite his promotion and perpetuation of black stereotypes, his work was often well-regarded by black publications and has been credited for fighting against black discrimination on Broadway as early as 1911. In an essay written in 2000, music critic Ted Gioia remarked, "If blackface has its shameful poster boy, it is Al Jolson", showcasing Jolson's complex legacy in American society.

3. Andrius Mamontovas (1967 - )

With an HPI of 36.49, Andrius Mamontovas is the 3rd most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Andrius Mamontovas (born 23 August 1967) is a Lithuanian rock musician. He is also a songwriter, actor, performer and record producer. He was one of the co-founders of the Lithuanian rock band Foje and the initiator of the LT United project.

4. Andrius Pojavis (1983 - )

With an HPI of 34.07, Andrius Pojavis is the 4th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Andrius Pojavis (born 25 November 1983) is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter. On 20 December 2012, he was selected to represent Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, which was held in Malmö, Sweden on 18 May 2013.

5. Donny Montell (1987 - )

With an HPI of 31.92, Donny Montell is the 5th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Donatas Montvydas (born 22 October 1987), also known by his stage name Donny Montell, is a Lithuanian singer-songwriter who represented Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. He did so for a second time in 2016, when he represented his country in Stockholm, Sweden.

6. Sasha Song (1983 - )

With an HPI of 30.42, Sasha Song is the 6th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Dmitry Shavrov (Russian: Дмитрий Шавров, Lithuanian: Dmitrij Šavrov; born 18 September 1983), better known by his stage names Sasha Song or Sasha Son, is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. He represented Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. His stage name Sasha Son means "Sasha Dream" in Russian, with Sasha being a Russian diminutive form of the name Alexander.

7. Jurga Šeduikytė (1980 - )

With an HPI of 28.97, Jurga Šeduikytė is the 7th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Jurga Šeduikytė (born February 11, 1980, Klaipėda, Lithuania), known by her stage names Jurga and formerly Dingau, is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter.

8. Vilija Matačiūnaitė (1986 - )

With an HPI of 28.71, Vilija Matačiūnaitė is the 8th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Vilija Matačiūnaitė (born 24 June 1986) is a Lithuanian singer, actress and songwriter. She represented Lithuania in the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with her song "Attention".

9. Vaidas Baumila (1987 - )

With an HPI of 28.66, Vaidas Baumila is the 9th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Vaidotas Jacob Baumila (born 28 March 1987) is a Lithuanian singer and actor. He represented Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 along with Monika Linkytė with the song "This Time". He became known after finishing third in the TV3 music reality show Dangus. In 2014 he reached the final of Lithuanian Eurovision selection where he finished in third place.

10. Jurijus Veklenko (1990 - )

With an HPI of 28.04, Jurijus Veklenko is the 10th most famous Lithuanian Singer.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Jurijus Veklenko (born 6 July 1990 in Klaipėda), also known as Jurij Veklenko or simply Jurijus, is a Lithuanian singer.