Memelio džiazo klubas

Acquaintance with the music world started in the native town Telšiai, and not with the bass guitar at all. At the age of seven, Paulius started learning clarinet playing at a music school. He participated in a couple of National J. Pakalnis contest of wind instruments . In 2000, he became a laureate of a TV contest "Dainų dainelė" (Song of songs).

In the adolescence years, Paulius was caught by the guitar, and he learned it by himself as there were no teachers of guitar in Telšiai at that moment. In 2001, at the Telšiai music school, a Big Band of teachers and students was established that lacked a bass player. Paulius borrowed the first bass guitar, and started studying the unique possibilities of this instrument by himself. Got interested in jazz music, in 2003 he entered Klaipėda University, the Department of Jazz Music to study with a lecturer Romas Malinauskas.

Paulius has played in the Big Band of the Faculty of Arts (leader Algis Kilis), also he was a member of the band "Colder", and Klaipėda Juozas Karosas music school bands “Silence Breakers” and "Jazz Factory" for some time. With the latter band he participated in the contest-festival “Jazz Fountains” that took place in Panevėžys in 2004, as well as in jazz festivals in Sweden and Germany ("Blue Boat"). Paulius was featuring in CD recordings of the band “Colder”, and the singer “Geltona”.

Together with the guitar player D. Kontrimas and Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra, started preparing a common modern music project “Virš baltos tylos...” (“Above white silence...”) in 2004. The project was presented in the concert that took place in February 2005, at Klaipėda Concert Hall, in a special concert during the Sea Feast - 2005, and in the opening concert of the festival “Laisvės pavasaris 2006” (“Spring of Freedom 2006”) in Panevėžys.

In May 2005, in the international contest of young jazz musicians "Džiazo viltis 2005" (“Jazz Hope 2005”), Paulius won the III place. After the performance at „Džiazo viltis 2005” when he was invited to participate in „Kaunas Jazz” festival in 2006, P. Stonkus rallied well known Klaipėda jazz musicians, K. Jatautaitė, D. Kontrimas, V. Rubežas, Ž. Gaubas, to prepare a special program for “Kaunas Jazz” festival.
In 2006, Paulius won the III place in the International contest “Sony Jazz Stage” in Riga (Latvia).

Stonkus has had concerts with the bands “Junction”, "Cappella A", “Doudi Jazz Band”, musicians Saulius Šiaučiulis, Pranciškus Narušis, Sasha Song, and others.
Currently, he takes part in common projects with Eugenijus Jonavičius (“JazzyTea”, E. Jonavičius quartet), Steponas Januška (“JazzWay”), Deividas Kontrimas (“JazzVision”), Violeta Tarasoviene and Vilius Tarasovas, plays with the bands “Arrogantics”, “The West Coast”, and “Soft&Easy”.

More info:
www.pauliusstonkus.eu