Composers > Andris Balodis

Andris Balodis

"I live resounding."

Andris Balodis


BIOGRAPHY

Andris Balodis was born on January 20th, 1973 in Riga. He studied at the Emīls Dārziņš College of Music in the piano, composition, and theory classes (1980–1991), and studied at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in the composition class of Ādolfs Skulte (1991–1995), where he received his bachelor’s degree.

He has worked as a teacher of music theory and composition in music schools in Riga, Līgatne, Valmiera, Cēsis, and Plācis (1993–2000), and he was the musical instructor at the Imanta children’s home (2002-2006). He worked at the Valmiera Drama Theatre as the director of the music department (1994–1998), creating musical settings and composing music for more than 30 theatre productions. He has been a lecturer at the International Latvian Young Musicians’ Camp and the director of recordings there (1998-2006). As of 2003, he organises concert trips for the Choir of the Jūrmala Music School. As of 2006, he is the solfeggio instructor at the Jūrmala Music School.

As of 2000, he makes recordings when travelling, creates computerised sheet music, releases CDs and books, and creates accompaniment recordings. He has had successful collaborations with music schools, choirs, and book publishers. He was the technical editor for the creation of the Cēsu hronika (The Chronicles of Cēsis) book’s cover.

The centre of his creative work is music for children, as well as choir and solo songs. The majority of his work is self released sheet music and recordings. In 1999, with his folk song arrangement of Zaķīts līda līdumiņu (The Leveret Clears the Woodland), he was awarded the promotional award at the J. Cimze competition for arrangements for choirs. In 2008, he was awarded 2nd place at the City of Jūrmala anthem competition.

As of 2006, he is a member of the Latvian Composers’ Union.


DISCOGRAPHY

MC

Second small concerto for piano and chamber orchestra / the Cēsis Chamber Orchestra, Diāna Dambīte, Conductor Andris Veismanis // Cēsu 4. mūzikas festivāla bērnu koncerts – 1999, Ekspresstudija, ES MC 001

Svētki ziemas vidū (Celebration in the Middle of Winter), cycle / the Valmiera College of Music Choir, Conductor Irēna Zelča, the Jūrmala College of Music Choir, Conductor Indra Raila // Svētki ziemas vidū – 2000, Ekspresstudija, ES MC 004


CD

Debesis, debesis (The Heavens, the Heavens) for mixed choir with synthesizer accompaniment / Text – Māra Zālīte / the choir Skan, Conductor Irēna Zelča // Koris Skan – [1990s]

Pavasari gaidot (Waiting for Spring) for children’s choir and synthesizer accompaniment / Text – Andris Balodis / the Valmiera College of Music Choir, Conductor Irēna Zelča // Valmieras mūzikas skolai – 80 – 2000

Mūzika Ziemassvētkiem (Music for Christmas), instrumental arrangements of popular Christmas melodies by Andris Balodis // Mūzika Ziemassvētkiem – 2002, Ekspresstudija, ES CD 007

Dienasgrāmata (Diary), electronic music cycle // Dienasgrāmata – 2003, Ekspresstudija, ES CD 012


LITERATURE

A. Krauliņš, Lai top gaisma! (Let there be Light) [regarding the Jūrmala Council competition Gada balva kultūrā 2005] // Jūrmalas Ziņas, December 28th, 2005 • I. Raila-Balode, Andra Baloža dziesmu koncerts (Andris Balodis’ Song Concert) // Jūrmalas Ziņas, spring, 2005 • I. Merga, Radošs cilvēks (A Creative Person) // Partita, February, 2000 • Ekspresstudija news // Partita, September, 1999 • Elektroniskā mūzika. Kas tas ir? (Electronic Music. What is it?) // Partita, May, 1999


Andris Balodis, Mārīte Dombrovska
© LMIC