Dr. Edvinas Minkstimas, Steinway Artist, serves as Director of The European Academy of Arts. In addition to leading the Academy team, Dr. Minkstimas serves on the Board of the Liberace Foundation, the Washington International Piano Festival and as Resident Artist of the Phillips Collection and the Embassy Series festivals.

Dr. Minkstimas, an eminent concert pianist, graduate of the Juilliard School and the Paris Conservatory, composer and winner of international awards, has organized charitable events and contributed to charitable causes throughout his career.

Dr. Minkstimas sees nurturing of the future music lovers, listeners and talented musicians as the key purpose of the Middleburg Music Fest International nonprofit organization. Dr. Minkstimas believes that talent must be recognized and supported, especially in the underprivileged circumstances. As a young man, Dr. Minkstimas was a recipient of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, Lithuanian Presidential, Foundation Meyer in France, C.V.Starr Doctoral Fellowship and many other scholarships and grants, which enabled him to attain professional excellence and artistic maturity.