Clarinetist Šarūnas Jankauskas enjoys a rewarding performance and teaching career. Most of his professional activities take place at James Madison University in Virginia, where he guides an enthusiastic group of aspiring performers, teachers and entrepreneurs. Dr. Jankauskas joined the School of Music faculty in 2016 and is dedicated to exploring new ways of addressing playing techniques, expanding teaching literature and maintaining a highly positive learning environment.

His performance engagements have taken him through Europe, Canada and various parts of the United States. Jankauskas appeared as a concerto soloist with Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony, several university orchestras and collaborated with accomplished artists, including St. Petersburg and Jasper String Quartets, pianists Domenico Codispoti and Johan Botes. He participated at International Conservatory Week Festival (St. Petersburg, Russia), Musicalis Daunia (Italy), SoundSpace at Blanton, Chamber Music at the Barn, KNOB Festival, Electroacoustic Barn Dance, International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFests®, College Music Society’s National Conference and various composer/new music conferences. He also has been a fellow in prestigious summer programs: Sarasota Music Festival, New Music Workshop of Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Round Top Festival-Institute and Texas Music Festival.

His recent commissioning project focused on new works for clarinet and contrasting instrument/voice. After numerous premiere performances, it culminated in a digital and CD album Duos in 2020, released by Soundset Recordings (available for purchase and streaming on all major music sources). A developing composer, Jankauskas has recently premiered several of his own works.

Dr. Jankauskas previously taught at Texas Lutheran and Wichita State Universities, in addition to serving as principal clarinetist of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. He studied at the Academy of Music and Theatre in his native Lithuania, and, after moving to the U.S., received degrees from Grand Valley State University, Rice University and The University of Texas at Austin.