State Choir Latvija
The government-affiliated State Choir Latvija ("Latvian State Choir") has a long history stretching back to the World War II era. Under conductor Māris Sirmais, the choir expanded its horizons beyond its homeland in terms of music and where it performs.
The State Choir Latvija was founded in 1942, with Janis Ozolins as its first director. With 60 members, the group is the largest professional choir in the Baltic states. Ozolins was succeeded by Janis Dumins and Daumants Gailis and, in 1969, by Imants Cepitis and Ausma Derkevica; they developed a distinctive sound, perfected by Sirmais, who became artistic director and chief conductor. He remained in that position as of the mid-2020s. In 1996, the choir made its recording debut, backing France's Orchestre National de Lille on a Naxos recording of Prokofiev's cantata Alexander Nevsky.
Sirmais vastly expanded the international activities of the State Choir Latvija. It has appeared with many of Western Europe's top orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and many other orchestras from the U.S. to Russia. It also frequently performs concerts a cappella. The State Choir Latvija has a large and varied repertory stretching from the Baroque era to contemporary works; it has also collaborated with jazz pianist Joe Zawinul and electronic band Sigur Rós. In 1998, the group founded the International Sacred Music Festival, which attracts performers and audiences from many countries. The choir has a strong commitment to contemporary music and has collaborated with leading composers such as Eriks Esenvalds and Peteris Vasks. The choir's recording catalog focuses on Latvian music but by no means exclusively; in 2013, the group issued the album A Ship with Unfurled Sails, featuring music by Gabriel Jackson, on the Hyperion label. The choir continued its association with Hyperion, releasing the album Credo in 2023; that album contained no Latvian music.
© James Manheim /TiVo
Similar artists
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Credo
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Sep 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler: Sinfonie Nr. 2
Michaela Kaune, Dagmar Peckova, NDR-Chor, State Choir Latvija, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Simone Young
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on 12 Dec 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Alexandre Nevsky
Ewa Podles, State Choir Latvija, Orchestre National de Lille, Jean-Claude Casadesus
Classical - Released by Naxos on 1 Dec 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lukaszewski: Sacred Choral Works
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Ondine on 7 Oct 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vasks: Prayer
State Choir Latvija, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by SKANI on 10 May 2019
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Rihards Dubra Signum Magnum
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 15 Aug 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aeternum: Latvian Composers for the Centenary of Latvia
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by SKANI on 21 May 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sempiternam
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Metier on 11 Feb 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
From the Dim and Distant Past
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 1 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eriks Esenvalds Passion and Resurrection/Rihards Dubra Te Deum
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 17 Aug 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emīla Dārziņa kora dziesmas
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 1 Dec 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lord, Thy Land Is on Fire / Our Father
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 19 Aug 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gabriel Jackson: A Ship with Unfurled Sails & Other Choral Works
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 30 Dec 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aeternum
State Choir Latvija, Dita Tomsone, Zane Zilberte, Didzis Lielauss, Māris Sirmais, Ivars Rebhūns
Classical - Released by SKANI on 2 Apr 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Credo
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 1 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
State Choir Latvija and Organist Atis Stepins in Riga Dom Cathedral
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 21 Aug 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sandström: 4 Songs of Love: No. 1, Let Him Kiss Me
State Choir Latvija, Māris Sirmais
Classical - Released by Hyperion on 11 Aug 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lord, Thy Land Is on Fire!
World - Released by State Choir Latvija on 19 Aug 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Joseph Rheinberger, Francis Poulenc, Einojuhani Rautavaara
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 15 Aug 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raimonds Paul's Rozes Gars
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 1 Aug 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
From the Baltic Coast
Classical - Released by State Choir Latvija on 15 Aug 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo