Composers > Juris Vaivods

Juris Vaivods

BIOGRAPHY

Juris Vaivods was born on March 29th, 1966 in the Preiļi region at the Vanagi House. He finished the Līvāni School of Music specializing in accordion (1976–1981, Paulis Šalajevs) and choir conducting at the Daugavpils College of Music (1981–1985, Vanda Drobiševska). He studied choir conducting at the Latvian Academy of Music with Edgars Račevskis (1985–1992), receiving his Bachelor’s degree, and with Imants Kokars (1992–1994), receiving his Master’s degree. While at the Latvian Academy of Music, he studied composition with Pauls Dambis and Pēteris Plakidis. He trained in masterclasses at the Bach Academy of Music (Germany) and the conducting masterclass of Kåre Hanken (Norway).

Studying in Daugavpils, he founded the Daugavpils band, played in the Wind Orchestra Daugava, sang in the choirs Daugava and Latgale. Studying at the Latvian Academy of Music, he formed the choir Akadēmiskais Vanadziņš, the men’s vocal group Grazia con figurazia. In 1988, he founded the Riga city group Usma. He worked as the accompanist for the Riga Dome Boy’s Choir (1992–1993), he was the artistic director and principal conductor of the chamber choir Versija (1993–1997) and the men’s choir Dziedonis (1992–1998). As of 1997, he has been working as the director of the music department at the Dailes Theatre.

He has conducted vocal ensemble masterclasses at the international Latvian young musicians’ camps in Jaungulbene (1994) and Ogre (1996, 1998). With the chamber choir Versija, he participated in international competitions, festivals, and forums in Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Latvia (1994–1997), with the group Usma he performed in Malaysia and Singapore (1988). Under the direction of Juris Vaivods, much Latvian choir music was premiered and recorded at Latvian Radio. He recorded a CD at the French record company JADE.

He was the Riga 800 artistic director of the festival zone Rīga dzied (Riga Sings) and was the musical director of the Rīga dejo (Riga Dances) zone. He was the musical director of the dance festival and dance performance Četri meti (Four Sketches) (2001), artistic director of the XXIII All Song Festival Youth Choir concert, and at the international regatta sailing event Sapņo līdzi vējam (Dream With the Wind) (2003), as well as the musical director of the concert Mēs – Eiropā (We – in Europe) (2004).

Many folksong arrangements by Juris Vaivods have been performed at Latvian song festivals, the composer has received awards also at the festival choir song competition (Aizalaida sauļeite (The Sun Hid) (1993), Rīgas dziesmas (Songs of Riga) (1998)). He received the Theatre Award for Best Music Author for the music for the theatre productions of Precības (Wedding) (2001) and Raudupiete (2003).


DISCOGRAPHY

Rīgas dziesmas (Songs of Riga), Latvian folk song arrangement series – 7’27” / the women’s choir Jumara, Conductor Inga Zirne, Mārcis Katajs, the men’s choir Ķekava, Conductor Arvīds Platpers // Mūzai. XXII Vispārējo latviešu dziesmu svētku dziesmas dzied labākie Latvijas kori – 1998, ADF 001

Veltījums (Dedication) / Text – Fricis Bārda – 2’07”/ Kaladō, Latgalian folk song arrangement – 2’33” / Čuči, mana līgaviņa (Sleep, My Bride), Latvian folk song arrangement – 2’24” / the youth choir Balsis, Conductor Ints Teterovskis and Agita Ikauniece // Balsis – 1999, Jauniešu koris Balsis, AIIT001

Rīgas vaiņags (Wreath of Riga), folk song arrangement cycle: Lōliz iza [The Father Sang, the Son Sang] (Liv folk song) – 3’37” / soloist – Eduards Vācietis / Die Auserwählte [The Beloved] (German folk song) – 2’19” / Moja Marysiu, kochaj mnie [Kiss Me, My Marisja] (Polish folk song) – 2’09” / soloist – Kārlis Rūtentāls / Kristallen den fina [Glittering Like Crystal] (Swedish folk song) – 3’21” / soloists – Daumants Kalniņš and Miks Abaroniņš / V djerevnje bylo Oļhovke [It Happened in the Village of Olhovka] (Russian folk song) – 4’22” / soloist – Kārlis Rūtentāls / Rīgas puikas tiltu taisa (The Boys of Riga are Building a Bridge) – 2’37” / The Boys’ Choir of the Riga Dome Cathedral, Conductor Mārtiņš Klišāns // Rīgas vaiņags – 2001, Rīgas Doma zēnu koris

Rīgas dziesmas (Songs of Riga), Latvian folk song series - 9’30” / combined women’s and men’s choirs, Conductor Māris Sirmais // Dziesmusvētki Rīgā – 2001, MicRec, CD 2911582

[Folk song arrangements]: Mōte dēleņu auklēja (A Mother Raised Her Son) – 6’02”, Pavasara iezvanīšana (Heralding the Spring) – 5’16”, Padolu īkorus (Who has the Ring?) [The Game of Rings] – 3’09” / The chamber choir Ave Sol, Conductor Imants Kokars // Saule pina vainadziņu (The Sun is Making a Wreath). Anthology of Latvian Choir Songs – X. 1991–2000. Folk song arrangements – 2002, Ave Sol, LR 0202

[Latgalian folk song arrangements]: Aizalaida sauļeite (The Sun Hid) – 2’24” / the chamber choir Ave Sol, Conductor Imants Kokars / Mōte dēleņu auklēja (Mother Brought Up Her Sun) – 5’56” / the chamber choir Ave Sol, Conductor Uldis Kokars // Baltic Choral Works I. A Collection of Latvian Choral Works – 2003, VICS-61107

[Latvian folk song arrangements]: Trīs sidraba avotiņi (Three Silver Springs) / the youth choir Sonore, Conductor Gunta Paškovska – 2’26” / Čuči mana līgaviņa (Sleep, My Bride) / the mixed choir Skaņupe, Conductor Sigvards Kļava – 2’15” // Noslēguma koncerts II. XXIII Vispārējie latviešu dziesmu svētki – 2003, BRG CD 158

Divējādi saule tek (The Sun Runs in Two Ways), Latvian folk song arrangement / the women’s choir Dzintars, the men’s choir Gaudeamus, the women’s choir Rasa, Conductor Aira Birziņa – 4’11” // Sieviešu un vīru koru koncerts Teiksma par latvieti I. XXIII Vispārējie latviešu dziesmu svētki – 2003, BRG CD 159

[Folk song arrangements]: Mōte dēleņu auklēja (Mother Nursed Her Son) – 5’39” / Pūti, pūti, ziemelīti (Blow, Blow, North Wind) – 1’24” / Kaladō – 2’15” / Padolu īkorus (The Game of Rings) – 3’02” / Prūjom, visi dīdelnīki (Away, Away with You, Guests, You Loungers) – 1’37” / Kamēr..., Conductor Māris Sirmais // Kamēr... Riga Youth Choir – [BG], Platforma Records, PRCD 016


LITERATURE

I. Helmane, Mūzikas akadēmijas Ugunīgais Zirgs (The Burning Horse of the Music Academy) [interview] // Latvijas Jaunatne, May 20th, 1992 • M. Ošlejs, Vienu dienu nedēļā gribētu strādāt Daugavpilī... (One Day a Week I Would Like to Live in Daugavpils) [interview] // Latgales Laiks, April 16th, 1994 • I. Lūsiņa, Tautu dziesmas vienā vaiņagā (Folk Songs in One Wreath) [review of the song cycle Rīgas vaiņags and the CD of the same name] // Diena, May 8th, 2001 • D. Judina, Viens Vaivods uz visām pusēm (One Vaivods to All Sides) [J. Vaivods tells in the text] // Rīgas Balss, March 14th, 2003 • G. Saulīte, Galva pilna ar mūziku (Head Full of Music) [J. Vaivods tells in the text] // December 4th, 2003


Mārīte Dombrovska
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