Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (), formerly the Riga Conservatory, is a higher music conservatory in Riga, Latvia. The junior institute is the Emīls Dārziņš Music School.
History
The Latvian Conservatory of Music was founded in 1919 by Latvian composer Jāzeps Vītols, who became the first director of the Latvian National Opera. He remained director until 1944, excepting 1935–1937 when the director was his choral assistant Pauls Jozuus. Junior and senior courses covered around 9 to 10 academic years. Beginning in 1940, the structure of the conservatory changed: lower junior courses were transferred to the secondary education system and later became a base for Jāzeps Mediņš's and Emīls Dārziņš's secondary schools of music. Higher courses were offered in the conservatory. Beginning 1 October 1951 LPSR Institute of Theater was attached to the conservatory, reorganizing it to a faculty of theater with departments for acting and directing. In May 1958 it was renamed Jāzeps Vītols Latvian conservatory. In January 1964 the conservatory was momentarily renamed to J. Vītols Latvian institute of Art, but in July the earlier name returned to the earlier name.
Organization Departments The Academy is divided into the following departments:
Piano Department Department of Accompanists Department of Compulsory Piano Department of Chamber Ensemble and Piano Accompaniment Department of String Instruments Department of Wind Instruments Department of Jazz Music Department of Orchestra Conducting Department of Choir Conducting Department of Vocal Music Department of Early Music Department of Choreography Department of Music Education Department of Instrument Performance Teaching Department of Music Technology Department of Composition Department of Musicology Department of Humanities Department of Science and Research Department of Self-Financed Studies Department of Doctoral Studies
Notable teaching staff The following have been Academy Rectors: Jāzeps Vītols (1919—1935) Pauls Jozuus (1935—1937) Alfrēds Kalniņš (1944–1948) Jēkabs Mediņš (1948–1950) Jānis Ozoliņš (1951–1977) Imants Kokars (1977–1990) Juris Karlsons (1990–2007) Artis Sīmanis (2007–2017) Guntars Prānis (2017–2024) Ilona Meija (since 2024)
Lūcija Garūta taught composition and music theory from 1940 and was elected to a professorship in 1960.
During the republic, the State Conservatory had only one Jewish professor of music, Adolf Metz, head of the violin department. Many Jewish students emigrated to Lithuania.
Notable alumni
Misha Alexandrovich, cantor Iveta Apkalna, pianist and organist Volfgangs Dārziņš Ēriks Ešenvalds, composer Sarah Feigin Elīna Garanča, mezzo-soprano Inese Galante, soprano Jānis Ivanovs, composer
Arvīds Jansons Olga Jegunova, pianist Oleg Kagan, violinist Aivars Kalējs, organist and composer Gidon Kremer, violinist Armands Melnbārdis, musician and recording artist Kristīne Opolais, soprano Raimonds Pauls
Uģis Prauliņš Uldis Pūcītis, actor Lauma Reinholde, composer, pianist and teacher Alfred Strombergs, conductor, vocal coach, and pianist Aleksandrs Viļumanis, conductor Imants Zemzaris
References
External links