#conductorsonstage

Latvia is full of great musicians and one of them is Andris Nelsons. He is one of the best orchestra conductors in the World. Nelson is the conductor of Wiener Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester and many other orchestras. He has won Grammy Awards. Every conductor can learn from him and not only because he gives his soul and heart for his job and he has worked very hard for his fame and recognition, but also because of the way how he works with orchestra. He always knows how to talk with musicians. Overall, the most important thing is that he lives in the music. He knows how to attract audience. It’s hard to find a musician who loves music as much as Nelsons does. That’s how a young man from a small country became one of the best conductors. 

In Latvia, we have a strong choral music tradition and a very important traditional choir festival. It started in 1873 and it happens every four years. For Latvians it is a special event, because we are a small nation and this festival is one of the only things that unites us. In the video is a 1985 festival final concert. Those were the Soviet occupation times, when the name of Latvia was forbidden and the song ‘’Gaismas pils’’ which is like our second hymn, was forbidden, too, but the choir wanted to sing it because it is the most powerful song for us. Haralds Mednis started conducting and she didn’t had anything to loose, that’s why he started. If someone with good job and good choirs would have started to conduct the song, they would lose their job and singers. In the comments of the video you can find the English translation of the song and other informations.

This is where my love to conducting starts. It’s in my blood. The conductor is controlling the choir very well, there are around 25 000 singers in the ensemble, most of them are not professional musicians. Everyone knows the song by heart, so Mednis didn’t have much work to do with the phrase, legato or dynamics, but he worked with emotions: his arms guided the emotion, the energy, strength and power. 

One of the greatest choral conductors is Jurģis Cābulis. He loves his job and is 100% in music. In this video you can see the performance of his choir. They won a choral contest with this song. He has one of the best choirs not only in Latvia but in the world, too. It’s really amazing what he has done with this choir. Mixed Choir of Riga Cathedral Choir School has only professional singers and the attitude from them is perfect. Cābulis’ arms are like clay, he controles the ensemble perfectly. Jurģis loves music more than anything, he has taught me how to be truly passionate about the music you, as a musician, play, listen or make. Music is Muse, others have God, I have Music. If you take care of Music, the Music will take care of you. That’s the most important thing you need to remember as a musician. You have to always respect music and the instruments you are playing, it can be piano, violin, your own voice or a choir. Cābulis is very strict with his choir and he always says if something is wrong, even if it’s the smallest nuance, even if someone in the choir is not sitting straight. If he sees the slightest annoyance, he stops and reminds everyone to have passion in their eyes. It can sound a bit crazy but it works and that’s why this choir is one of the best.

A new series is coming this week dedicated to young conductors. This special themed-week Conductors on Stage will present young musicians and conductors student who are following their own dream: to became a good leader in the front of many choirs and orchestras.

In this very first event, Musica in Extenso is hosting Elīza Ķirse [ @spookystringendo ] as our invited guest-editor, a young musician and choral conducting student. Our Staff made an exclusive interview with Elīza, focusing on some interesting questions about her connection with music and hobbies.

1.     Please tell us a few things about you! (name, birthplace, studies, anything you think is interesting)

My name is Elīza Ķirse. I was born in the capital city of Latvia – Riga. I have been studying in Riga Cathedral Choir School for 12 years – that includes preschool, elementary school, primary school and high school. Now I am in first year of high school and I have to study there for three more years choral conducting.

2.     Tell us about your conducting experiences:

I haven’t been in front of choir yet, but I have sung in the best girls choir of latva and one of the best in Europe – Riga Cathedral Girls’ Choir ‘’Tiara’’. The conductor of ‘’Tiara’’ is my conducting teacher Aira Birziņa. She is well known in Latvia and many other countries. I will have my first experience with choir very soon, but I am conducting choral music with piano.

3.     First contact with music

I was born in musical family – my parents were conductors, one of my brothers is in rock band “Indygo’’. My second brother is in vocal jazz group ‘’Framest’’, so I can say that music is in my blood. I started going to preschool where I started learning solo singing and solfeggio, but before, my parents took me to choral and orchestra concerts.

4.     Tell us your proudest achievement in music/performing/conducting!

I had an exam in conducting and I had to conduct a complicated work by latvian composer (Kantāte ‘’Dziesma’’ – Jāzeps Vītols) and I after I conducted it, the main teacher gave my quiet applause and he doesn’t do it to anyone. After the exam, he came to me and said that I have a great potential and I will be a great conductor in the future. Many other conductors said a lot of good things about my conducting skills. I had never felt so good about what I am doing.

5.     Five words that describe your character:

Passionate, funny, patient, intelligent, driven

6.     How do you spend your free time?

I like spending my free time at concerts. I go every Friday and Saturday to jazz or classical music concerts. I read lots of books and cook.

7.     Lifelong dreams?

I have two lifelong dreams – one is to become a good orchestra conductor and to conduct Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. My second dream is to become a professional choir conductor and stand in front of 50 000 singers inn Latvian traditional singing festival. 

Editor-in-Chief

This week on Musica in Extenso!