After graduating Lithuanian Academy of Music (in the class of Professor Vladimiras Prudnikovas [lt; de]) in 1989, Juozapaitis debuted in the role of Freddie in My Fair Lady and soon moved on to prominence, becoming one of the leading opera soloists of Lithuania.
In 1992 and 1993, he studied at the European Center for Opera and Voice (ECOV) in Belgium, then with Marlena Malas in New York City, United States and baritone Tom Krause in Finland. He sang in Don Giovanni at the Czech National Opera Theatre in Prague, and toured with his company in Japan during 1994 and 1995, as well with company Teatro Lirico D'Europa in the US in 2003. In 2005 he worked in the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, as the opera manager.
In addition to working as a performer, Juozapaitis has been teaching vocal performance since 1996 at his alma mater, now the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and also at the Vilnius College from 2006. Among his graduate students are some prominent Lithuanian opera singers like tenor Edmundas Seilius and baritone Dainius Stumbras. In 2009, Juozapaitis opened his personal educational centre of culture and art called the Vytauto Juozapaičio kultūros ir meno centras.
Juozapaitis became a laureate at the 1980 Dainų dainelė competition and in 1992 won the 1st prize in the Competition of Lithuanian Vocalists. In 1993, he was awarded a diploma at the International Luciano Pavarotti Vocal Competition in Philadelphia (where the chairman was Pavarotti himself). Later he won all the major prizes of Lithuanian theatre scene, including three Opera Soloist of the Year awards, 2 Public's Favorite, Kipras, Kristoforas, Auksinis scenos kryžius (The Golden Cross of Scene) and the Officer's Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania.[4] In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts in 2003.
Maestro Juozapaitis is also a well-known television personality: a TV host (of the classical music show Tegyvuoja klasika! ["Long live the classics!"]), a chairman of judges in 2 music competition shows—Žvaigzdžių duetai (an analogue to Celebrity Duets) and Triumfo arka ("Triumphal arch", a contest of opera singers)— and also one of its formers,[clarification needed] on 2 major Lithuanian TV channels LTV and LNK. He has also released 3 successful solo CDs.
Married for the second time in 1988, has 3 daughters—Vaiva, Vaida (an adopted daughter from wife's first marriage) and Ieva.
Roles
Lithuanian composers has written some roles specifically for V. Juozapaitis: Count Shemeta – in Broniaus Kutavičiaus opera Lokys, King Mindaugas – in Broniaus Kutavičiaus opera Ugnis ir tikėjimas, Žilvinas – in Audronė Žigaitytė opera Žilvinas ir Eglė and Žygimantas Augustas – in Giedrius Kuprevičius opera Karalienė Bona.
V. Juozapaitis' repertoire includes almost 50 major baritone roles in operas, operettas and musicals. Most famous of them:
