CHORAL TOUR OF LATVIA & ESTONIA – “THE SINGING NATIONS”
May 19-28, 2025
My Canadian colleagues were deeply inspired and moved by what they experienced in Latvia and Estonia over the past ten days. This trip started out as a “choral tour”, which in fact turned into a mission of cultural diplomacy. It was more than I could have hoped for or imagined and I have so many people to thank for this!
THANK YOU to our tour partners!
I am most grateful to my friend and colleague Aira Birziņa, who helped me develop the program and connect with our many choral partners over the course of the last year. PALDIES, Aira, for everything you did to make this tour a success!
PALDIES Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy for being our official partner for this tour.
We greatly valued the opportunity to sit in at final conducting exams, meet with your faculty and your Rector Ilona Meija. We were especially pleased that Dr. Timothy Shantz presented to your faculty and students about “Contemporary Canadian Choral Music and Truth and Reconciliation”, followed by a reading session of Canadian choral music with Tim, John Wiebe and Thomas Burton and the JVLMA choir.
PALDIES to Director Ġints Ceplenieks and the Rīga Cathedral Choir School
Tim presented his second lecture and another reading session with our Canadian delegates. We really enjoyed attending the Rīga Cathedral Boys’ Choir and Rīga Cathedral Girls’ Choir TIĀRA rehearsals as well!
A special THANK YOU to Daugavas Vanagi Kanadā (The Latvian Relief Society in Canada) and LNAK (Latvian National Federation in Canada)
Through the “Līvija Jansonas un Leonarda Skreituļa LNAK Nākotnes Fonds” we were able to purchase Canadian repertoire for the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy’s music library and to hire a videographer to document our choral adventures for promoting future tours. Stay tuned for the premiere later this summer!
THANK YOU to Kravis Travel and Bubbles & More for working out the travel and accommodation arrangements so seamlessly!
AITÄH to Ingrid Kõrvits for helping me create the program in Estonia and for recommending we see the phenomenal production of “Macbeth”, which needs to be seen around the world!
PALDIES and AITÄH to the many organizations and colleagues we met with over the past ten days.
Thank you for your time and insight into the unique choral culture and traditions of Latvia and Estonia. Thank you for inviting us into your rehearsals and concerts. These memories stayed with us throughout the tour and inspired very important and meaningful conversations. Several of my colleagues told me this was “the trip of a lifetime”!
We will never forget all that we experienced.
We want our colleagues to learn about your choral traditions as well. My heart is full.
Thank you, thank you to everyone we met on this tour:
LATVIA
Professor and Principal Conductor Aira Birziņa
JVLMA Rector Ilona Meija
H.E. Ambassador Brian Szwarc, Ambassador of Canada to Latvia
Musica Baltica – Solvita Sejāne, Karolīne Zobens-East, Andris Sējāns
Composer and Chair of Latvian Composers’ Union Krists Auznieks
Composer Uġis Prauliņš
Conductor Valdis Tomsons – JUVENTUS, JVLMA Mixed Choir, The State Choir LATVIJA
University of Latvia Choir JUVENTUS
Principal Conductor Ints Teterovskis
Latvian Youth Choir BALSIS
Edīte Putniņa, Director – The Song and Dance Celebrations Exhibition “Dziesmusvētku telpa”
Mežaparks Open Air Stage
The Song Celebrations Society (Ints Teterovskis, Chair)
The Latvian Conductors’ Association (Ints Teterovskis, Chair)
Māris Ošlejs, Director – State Choir LATVIJA
Principal Conductor Māris Sirmais
The State Choir LATVIJA
Rīga Chamber Choir AVE SOL
Composer Laura Jēkabsone
Rīga Cathedral Choir School Director Ġints Ceplenieks
Principal Conductor Mārtiņš Klišāns
Conductor Artūrs Oskars Mitrevics
Rīga Cathedral Boys’ Choir
Rīga Cathedral Girls’ Choir TIĀRA
Project Manager Madara Boka
Conductor Jurģis Cābulis
Rīga Cathedral Choir School Mixed Choir
Principal Conductor Kaspars Ādamsons
The Latvian Academy of Culture Mixed Choir SÕLA
Composer Ēriks Ešenvalds
ESTONIA
Principal Conductor Ingrid Kõrvits
The Estonian Song Celebrations
Arvo Pärt Centre
Ellerhein Girls Choir
Principal Conductor Tõnu Kaljuste
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Conductor Mikk Üleoja
The Estonian National Male Choir
Tallinn Music and Ballet School
Principal Conductor Hirvo Surva
The National Opera Boys’ Choir
Our Partners
Our heartfelt thanks to the Latvian Relief Society in Canada and the Latvian National Federation in Canada and the “Līvijas Jansones un Leonarda Skreitulis Nākotnes Fonds” for their support of this tour. This funding will allow us to purchase scores of Canadian choral music for the lending library at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, and will additionally help cover the costs of documenting our tour on video for the promotion of future tours. We are so grateful for their support!
