Lukas Butkus (b. 2000) is a Lithuanian composer of contemporary music, performer and writer based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He is a member of contemporary music ensemble Artisans.

From an early age Lukas had a keen interest in all things related to music. He started learning piano and music theory at Marijampolė’s St. Cecilija’s gymnasium having already learned music notation and basic piano playing by himself at the age of six. Not long after successfully taking part in numerous national and international piano competitions his natural inclination towards the want of a deeper musical understanding led him back to composition that he had abandoned at an early age but not for the lack of discouragement from surrounding authority figures. Only after having the opportunity of taking private lessons, which lasted for two impactful years, with famous Lithuanian composer Vidmantas Bartulis (1954-2020) did Lukas decide to pursue his dream of becoming a composer.

In 2019, he started his bachelor’s studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre where he studied composition in the class of prof. Vaclovas Augustinas. Thereafter, in 2025, he finished his master’s studies in composition with prof. dr. Ričardas Kabelis and currently is pursuing a PhD in composition (with prof. dr. Mārtiņš Viļums and prof. dr. Rūta Stanevičiūtė-Kelmickienė). Since 2024, he is a member of the Lithuanian Composers’ Union.

His main interest is in symphonic, choral music, music for ensembles and theatre, opera, performance, audiovisual composition. In an oeuvre of aesthetic self-negation, the overarching theme of Lukas’ work is memory and its affectations—on the listener and on the composer—sometimes blended with the ironic and absurd fixtures of the contemporary age. Every new piece is a blank slate, a means of telling a story that is rarely connected to the previous one, unless only in self-ironic gestures.

His works have been awarded in many national and international composers’ competitions like “Vox Juventutis” (1st place in 2020; 2nd place in 2022; 3rd place in 2023), international E. Balsys young composer’s competition (4th place in 2023), “Musica Sacra Nove” (2nd place in 2022), finalist at the Liturgical music competition in 2021 and 2023, young composer’s competition “Mano nata” (1st place in 2018 and 2019). In 2021 he was awarded the prestigious M. K. Čiurlionis stipend-incentive to compose his syncretic piano concerto “Auto-da-fé”. Lukas’ works have been performed by choirs “Jauna muzika” (Vilnius), “via-nova-chor” (München), “Adoramus” (Vilnius), “Polifonija” (Šiauliai), string quartet “Chordos”, contemporary music ensemble “Artisans”, piano trio “FortVio”, St. Christophor Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Symphonic Wind Orchestra, Future Symphony Orchestra, Vokalinio meno tinklas and others.

As a pianist and harpsichordist, Lukas Butkus has performed numerous concerts solo and with other performers, ensembles and orchestras. Since 2020 he is an active member and co-coordinator of Vilnius based contemporary music ensemble “Artisans” which was recognised as ‘a potential leader of the Lithuanian contemporary music scene’. During the last five years he has premiered over 40 pieces by other composers, performed at festivals such as “Druskomanija”, “Muzikos ruduo”, “contemPLAY”, “Bandit Supreme”, “Keep singing — festival inspired by Jonas Mekas”, “Oxymora”, “Kultūros naktis”, “Muzika erdvėje”, Thomas Mann festival, Huddersfield Contemporary Music festival, Ung Nordisk Musik, International Rostrum of Composers.

In 2025, Butkus received the Frank van der Wal Fund Prize at the 31st Young Composers Meeting organized by Orkest de Ereprijs (Netherlands), becoming the first Lithuanian composer to receive this honour. The jury described him as “a compelling artist who dares to experiment, possessing a very subtle stream of consciousness from which a dark and moving work emerged.”

Also in 2025, his work I like Vidmantas Bartulis (Auscultare) was selected to represent Lithuania at the 71st International Rostrum of Composers in Slovenia.