When Marius Reklaitis stands in front of an orchestra, he might be leading the New York Chamber Orchestra or the Sofia Philharmonic. On most mornings, though, he’s leading children from their very first day of school all the way through to Year 6 – including making Oobleck dance on a speaker so they can see sound waves with their own eyes.
That combination – renowned conductor, boundary-breaking primary teacher – has just earned him one of teaching’s highest honours. Marius Reklaitis has been named a National Bronze Winner at the Pearson National Teaching Awards 2026, widely known as the “Oscars of teaching,” in the category of Primary School Teacher of the Year.
He was chosen from thousands of entries across the UK.
“For a child to have a great teacher like you is so important,”
wrote Sir Michael Morpurgo, the celebrated children’s author and Awards President, in a letter to Marius Reklaitis. “You open doors, shine a light.”
Marius Reklaitis teaches at Danson Primary School and Belmont Academy, and serves as conductor of both the Bexley Music Youth Orchestra and the Bexley Music Concert Orchestra. His classroom is what his nominators describe as a “multi-sensory STEAM laboratory” – children construct keyboards from fruit, visualise sound using Chladni plates, and learn rhythmic theory by dribbling basketballs in time signatures. Every lesson is designed so that all children learn together – BSL, Makaton, coloured bells and rollup keyboards ensure that ability, language, or motor-skill challenges are never a barrier to full participation.
His belief that classical music belongs to everyone has taken Marius Reklaitis well beyond the classroom. During a previous post on the Isle of Sheppey, he identified what he describes as “cultural poverty”: children who had never seen a live orchestra. His response was to raise £30,000 and personally fund a gala concert at Colyer-Fergusson Hall, bringing his own Kent Philharmonic Orchestra – to perform for those children, free of charge. He then established an annual tradition of bringing string quartets and opera singers directly into the school, at his own expense.
In 2023, Marius Reklaitis performed alongside the Bexley Children’s Choir for His Majesty King Charles III’s Christmas message to the Commonwealth, watched by millions.
Beyond schools, Marius Reklaitis has spent over a decade with the Mustard Seed Singers, supporting people facing severe mental health challenges through music, and raised £24,000 to launch the Canterbury Chorale, providing free singing sessions for people experiencing isolation and poor mental health.
Internationally, Marius Reklaitis founded the Kultūros Dienos classical music festival, now in its fifth year, and established the Sūduva Youth Orchestra in his native Lithuania – part of a lifelong commitment to creating pathways for young musical talent across borders.
The Kent Philharmonic Orchestra, which led his nomination, put it simply:
“Marius Reklaitis shows that classical music doesn’t belong to an elite. He’s changing lives.”
