Composers > Andrejs Selickis

Andrejs Selickis

"The person who is not familiar with the rare sweetness of a true prayer has not heard the singing of the Angels. Their songs cannot be heard directly, it is reflected only in a pure heart as an inaudible melody of the Heavenly Light."

[From the book Žizneopisanije ieromonaha Vasilija (Rosljakova) (The Life Story of the Hierophant Vasilij (Rosljakov)), 2001, about a contemporary (1960–1993) hierophant and martyr, but also an actual Composer, since he created and performed his life until the end – until the eternal Life, together with God and the Angels.]


BIOGRAPHY

Andrejs Selickis was born on February 13th, 1960 in Daugavpils. At the age of six, he began violin studies at the Ogre Music School with Lilita Ronka. After moving to Riga, he continued studies at the Jāzeps Mediņš Music School (including solfeggio with Valda Kazāka). From 1975 to 1979 he studied at the Jāzeps Mediņš College of Music, where he finished the music theory program (theory with Maija Kurme, composition with Tamāra Kalna).

At the end of the 70’s, there were fateful meetings with Arvo Pärt until his departure from the Soviet Union in 1980. In 1979 he was acquainted with Artūrs Grīnups and met with the composer until his death in 1989.

From 1979 to 1986, he studied at the Latvian State Conservatory in the composition department in Pēteris Plakidis’s class and graduated that. Since finishing the Conservatory, Andrejs Selickis has been a self employed artist. He serves the Latvian Orthodox Church (as a regent and psalmist for many congregations).


WRITINGS

Vēl viens viedoklis par Kamermūzikas jaunumiem (Another opinion of New Chamber Music) [about the composer Maija Einfelde] // Literatūra un Māksla, September 30th, 1989, 7 • Artūra Grīnupa piemiņai (In Memory of Artūrs Grīnups) // Mūzikas Saule, 2001, no. 7/8, 18-19


DISCOGRAPHY

Iesākuma psalms (Introductory Psalm) – 4’46” / Dvēsele skumst pēc debesīm (My Soul Cries) – 3’15” / Tavu pili. Lielās ceturtdienas dziedājums, saulei austot (Hymn of the Maundy Thursday at Sunrise) – 4’39” / Pashas stihiras. Jēzus Kristus Augšāmcelšanās himnas (Resurrection Hymns) – 7’01” / Riga Technical University Men’s Choir Gaudeamus, conductor Ivars Cinkuss // Manas dvēseles tērpu apskaidro – 2006, Gaudeamus, VKG 003


LITERATURE

A. Selickis, Lappusītes (Pages) [Introduction by I. Šarkovska; sections of the composer’s diary] // Māksla, 1989, no. 3, 40–42


Andrejs Selickis, Mārīte Dombrovska
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