Composers > Māris Lasmanis

Māris Lasmanis

"My credo is to write melodies that are rich in content, but leave room for the imagination of the listener. To generalize: like any free person, the music writer has the right to express themselves, whatever way that might be."

Māris Lasmanis


BIOGRAPHY

The composer and pianist Māris Lasmanis was born on January 15th, 1961 in Riga. He graduated the Piano Department at the Jāzeps Mediņš School of Music (1969– 1976, teacher Māra Lorence), the Jāzeps Mediņš College of Music Piano Department (1976–1980, teacher Skaidrīte Valbe), the Latvian State Conservatory Piano Department (1980–1985, the class of Igors Kalniņš) and the Composition Department (1985–1990, the class of Romualds Kalsons). In 2004, he began his master’s study in the Teaching and Psychology Department at the University of Latvia.

He was the Latvian State Conservatory/Latvian Academy of Music accompanist and teacher of improvisation (1983–1991), the 1st vice-chairman of the Latvian Music Society (1991–1993), the director of SIA LAREK (advertising agency, music publisher Ekspresstudija) (as of 1992), the accompanist and teacher at the Riga 100th Secondary School (as of 2003). He was the musical director of the popular music ensemble Intermeco at the fishermen’s collective farm 9. maijs (1985–1988), pianist and composer for the popular music ensemble Mantojums at the collective farm Viesturi (1988–1989). He is a member of the Latvian Composers’ Union (2002), the chairman of its Auditing Commission (since 2004, reelected in 2009) and Council (2004-2007).

He was victorious in the Riga Dome Cathedral organised competition for best original music Ave Maria for boy’s soprano voice (2003).

Author concerts at the Latvian Philharmonic (1991) and in Valmiera (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). His music has been performed in Estonia, Germany, Sweden, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago.


DISCOGRAPHY
LP

Kā Brālītis Trusītis uzvarēja Lauvu (How Brother Rabbit Defeated the Lion), Juris Zvirgzdiņš’s radio play – 1986, Melodija, M 50 48363007


CD

Dvēseles klavieres (Piano of the Soul). Romantic music for piano with orchestra [melodies for piano and programmed accompaniment] / Māris Lasmanis – piano, Edijs Gņedovskis – arrangements, programmed accompaniment – 2000, LAREK Ekspresstudija, ES CD 002

Mans mantojums (My Heritage) [songs performed by Andris Daņiļenko, Rita Trence, Ginta Lubiņa] – 2003, LAREK Ekspresstudija, ES CD 009


MC

Es nāku no mazas tautas (I Come from a Small Nation), songs for children’s choir with accompaniment / Texts – Latvian poets – 2001, LAREK Ekspresstudija, ES MC 005

DVD

Dziesmas par, ap un caur puķēm (Songs About, Around and Through Flowers) / Sveču sēta (In the Farmstead of Candles), Text – Māra Cielēna / Mans mantojums (My Heritage), Text – Ārija Elksne / The men’s choir Ķekava, Conductor Arvīds Platpers, instrumental ensemble, piano – the author // Vīru koris Ķekava. 35 gadu jubilejas koncerts. 2nd part – 2005


LITERATURE

A. Ruba, Sveiki, Kūrlanderi (Greetings, People of Kurzeme) [interview] // Rīgas Balss, September 22nd, 1989 • A. Linē, Noturēties and nepadoties (Hold on and Do Not Give Up) [interview] // Rīgas Balss, November 13th, 1991 • L. Jakovļeva, Jauna komponista autorkoncertā (At the Author’s Concert of a New Composer) [review] // Diena, December 11th, 1991 • Vika [Viktorija Baiža], Māris // Mežs, June, 1992 • Dž. Grebzde, Māris Lasmanis komponē, pats izdod un reklamē savu mūziku (Māris Lasmanis Composes, Releases, and Advertises his Music Himself) [interview] // Vakara Ziņas, November 1st, 2000 • J. Cukurs, Pateikt iespējami vairāk (To Say Possibly More) [interview] // Liesma [Newspaper of the Valmiera region], October 20th, 2001 • I. Igaune, Mārim Lasmanim profesija kļuvusi par hobiju (Māris Lasmanis’ Profession has Become a Hobby) [interview] // Dienas Bizness, June 6th, 2003, in the attachment “Brīvsolis”• A. Briedis, Šonakt... (Tonight...) // Liesma [Newspaper of the Valmiera region], December 9th, 2003 • A. Briedis, Skanēs dvēsele (It will Sound in the Soul) // Liesma [Newspaper of the Valmiera region], December 11th, 2004


Arvīds Bomiks, Mārīte Dombrovska
Photo - Andrejs Bogomja
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