Darius Kučinskas MUSIC PUBLISHING IN LITHUANIA CONTEMPORARY SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVE

MUSIC PUBLISHING (MP) What does it mean? Who needs printed scores? Who publishes sheet music? What is published? Where to buy published scores? Where to find it if you do not wish to buy?

MP – what does it mean? There are 2 different fields of music publishing: score publishing (sheet music) sound publishing (recordings) Books and school-books with music examples are not music publishing Books about music also are not music publishing

MP – who needs printed scores? There are ~3 millions people in Lithuania and only ~30000 (~1%) potentional customers for printed scores (professionally orientated): >70% of them are pupils, students, teachers rest of them – professional musicians

MP – who needs printed scores? ~100 children music schools (200-1000 pupils each) 5 specialized gymnasiums (~300 pupils each) 6 universities (music faculties and full academies)

MP – who needs printed scores? 4 professional state choirs (~70 singers each) 3 symphonic orchestras (~300 musicians) 3 theatre orchestras (~250 musicians) 15 various chamber ansambles (~50 musicians)

MP – who needs printed scores? According musical instruments (and voice) there are largest communities of: choir singers piano players accordion players guitar players violin players

MP – who publishes sheet music? There are 124 (2%) music publishers of all 5412 publishers included into a joined list (www.lnb.lt) Really there are ONLY FEW publishers who publishes sometimes 1-3 scores per year Today there is NO ONE specialized music publisher in Lithuania

MP – who publishes sheet music? Independent publishers-companies (VAGA, Šviesa, Kronta) Universities (KU, ŠU, KTU, LMTA, LEU) Societies (Music Society, Čiurlionis Society) Independent publishers-composers Music lovers – non professional musicians

MP – who publishes sheet music? THE ONLY REAL music publisher Jonas PETRONIS (1911-2005)

MP – who publishes sheet music?

MP – what is published? >85% – educational repertoire (for <16 age pupils) ~10% – concert repertoire for choir singers ~6% – concert repertoire for instrument players ~1% – scores for orchestra ~3% – popular (mass) music

MP – what is published? Lithuanian folk music (especially for singing/dancing festivals – Dainų šventės) Music of Lithuanian composers World classical repertoire (especially rarely)

MP – how much copies are printed? 1000-2000 copies of piano music 1500-3000 copies of choir music and vocal but 300-500 copies of chamber music and 50-100 copies for orchestras

MP – where to buy published scores? If you’ll be lucky to find – at the last corner of main (central) bookshop of your city At the ONLY specialized sheet music shop in Lithuania – “NATA” (Vilnius, Totorių str.) Inner kiosks of some music institutions Sometimes – at the entrance door of music festivals, competitions, concerts

MP – where to find it if you do not wish to buy? Music deprtments of all main public libraries Libraries at the specialized educational and professional institutions (children’s music school, colledge, philharmonic society...) Look at the internet (www.lks.lt, imslp.org) Do a copy of your friend’s copy…

Where are the main problems of music publishing Music market for printed scores is very small. It is up to 100 times smaller like market of recorded music and published books. Music publishing requires unique specialists with highest level of professional skills.

Where are the main problems of music publishing Music page layout requires a perfect knowledge of an instrument and special features of playing (transposing, fingering, using of effects, page turning possibilities) Contemporary music typeseting requires a usage of a special software (Sibelius, Finale)

Where are the main oportunities of music publishing Everybody understands music without translation – it is very easy to enlarge the local market into international E-publishing makes process of music publishing less expensive and competitive with book publishing

What is a perspective of a local music publishing? The music market is very narrow BUT VERY STABILE The PEDAGOGICAL REPERTOIRE will stay as the main aim of music publishers Contemporary music is possible to publish only with an additional financial support.

What is a perspective of a local music publishing? The future of music publishing requires to think about a special study programme where the knowledge and experience of book and music publishing will be joined.

Thank you!