Kipras Petrauskas

Kipras Petrauskas (December 5, 1885 as Ciprijonas Petrauskas – January 17, 1968) was a Lithuanian and Soviet operatic tenor (created around 80 roles), professor, and Lithuanian Association of Artists member. The national opera foundation is associated with him.

Biography Petrauskas was married to Elena Žalinkevičaitė-Petrauskienė.

Petrauskas was a supporter of the Lithuania men's national basketball team as in 1937, following the final victory over Italy in the EuroBasket 1937, he interrupted his performance at the State Theatre in Kaunas to announce the triumph of the Lithuania men's national basketball team in the EuroBasket 1937, while the crowd then rose to their feet and together sang the Lithuanian anthem.

In 1942, he was asked to hide a Jewish baby girl, Dana Pomeranz, which he and his wife agreed to do. To hide the girl better, he and his wife left the city, moving first to a Lithuanian village, and later to Austria and then Germany. In 1947, they came back to Lithuania, found Dana's parents, and gave her back to them.

In 1999, Petrauskas and his wife were recognized by Yad Vashem as two of the Righteous Among the Nations.

Kipras Petrauskas made his first recordings for Vox (Berlin 1922), then Odeon (1926 and 1928) and finally Columbia (Vilnius, ca. 1933).

Gallery