Viktorija Gečytė started singing early in life. Although she didn’t come from a musical family, she has always been drawn to music; she would often hitchhike to music festivals around Lithuania, her home country.
At 19, she received a scholarship that brought her to the United States to study mathematics and economics at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. During her schooling, she just couldn’t keep away from the jazz scene in New York. After receiving her degree, she moved to Paris, France, where she started performing.
She’s since toured and recorded with several notable musicians, including Gene Perla, a New Jersey-born bassist. A recent performance at Miller Symphony Hall, in Allentown, Pa., was broadcast on the local PBS station.
When asked to name her favorite Sarah Vaughan tune, Viktorija chose “Can’t Get Out of This Mood.”
On Sunday she competes in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition at NJPAC, as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival. Viktorija is honored to participate in such a prestigious competition, and looks forward to rubbing shoulders with renowned artists like Christian McBride and Dee Dee Bridgewater.
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