Andris Dzenītis, Vineta Sareika, opera “Vēsā” win laurels at the Grand Music Award ceremony

Winners of the Grand Music Prize

Lifetime Achievement Award – Aina Bayarai

Singer and vocal teacher Aina Bajari was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony.

Aina Bajāre’s creative life has been connected with the Riga Operetta Theater for a quarter of a century, where she was one of the leading soloists.

The representative of the Grand Music Prize jury, Iveta Grunde, highlighted her special stage charm in addition to her vocal qualities: “Her stage characters had brightness. I am still from the generation that remembers her in the Operetta Theater. It was both a musically enjoyable, joyful event and a theatrical one. Because that’s another very important area that a singer needs, that stage charisma. And she attracted with that. And it’s also a school that she can pass on to future generations.”

For more than four decades, Aina Bajāre’s life is unimaginable without her teaching work, she helps the artists of Latvia’s leading choirs learn the intricacies of vocal art. The first cooperation was with the choir “Dzintars”, then also with the choir “Kamēr” and the State Academic Choir “Latvija”.

Lifetime Achievement Award – to Lilia Greidana

The singer Lilija Greidani was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lilia Greidane’s stage life began in the early 1970s, and by the turn of the millennium she sang more than 30 roles on the opera stage.

Daina Markova, the chairman of the jury of the Grand Music Prize, especially highlighted the great diversity of her roles and her skill in transforming them into the most diverse characters: “Her repertoire includes Wagner, Mozart, Gershwin, and the music of many other composers. Also, her role in Imanta Kalniņš’s opera “Speleju, dancoju” must be mentioned. “, which those who saw it remember very well. It’s just the way she is grand dame. If we talk about our opera for grandmothers, then one of them is undoubtedly Lilija Greidāne. A very artistic, bright, beautiful and sincere artist.”

Lilia Greidānes’ performance as a singer continues to live both in records and in people’s memories, as well as through her cherished students, among whom are a number of well-known singers, including Laura Gretzka, Dana Bramane and Yulia Vasilijeva.

New work of the year

The jury of the Great Music Award recognized Andras Dzenīš’s Second Symphony “Silts vējš” as the best new work of the past year, which premiered on March 5, 2022 in Liepāja’s “Lielais dzintars” concert hall, performed by the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andras Pogas.

In the “New Work of the Year” category, Krista Auzniek’s “Sensus” (first performance on February 18 at St. John’s Church in Riga – Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Kaspars Putniņš) and Jānis Petraškevich’s clarinet concert “Long Walks” (first performance on January 29 at the Great Guild – Anna Gāgane, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Guntis Kuzma).

For an excellent interpretation

The great music award for outstanding interpretation was given to violinist Vineta Sareika for her performance of the Johannes Brahms Concerto for Violin and Orchestra on September 23 at the Great Guild together with the State Chamber Orchestra “Sinfonietta Rīga” and conductor Normunds Shne.

In this category, conductor Krista Audere also claimed the prize for her performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s motets on August 27 in Riga St. Peter’s Church together with the State Academic Choir “Latvija”, as well as Rihards Millers (baritone) and Ārika Miller (piano) – for the performance of Franz Schubert’s vocal cycle “Winter Journey” on November 6 in the music and drama room “OratoriO”.

For excellent work in the ensemble

The great music award for outstanding work in the ensemble was awarded to cellist Inga Ozola.

In this category, pianist Rihards Plešanovs and harpist Ieva Shablovska also applied for the award.

For outstanding performance throughout the year

The Grand Music Prize was awarded to percussionist Guntars Freiberg for outstanding performance throughout the year.

In this category, saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš and singer Jūlija Vasiljeva also applied for the award.

Concert of the year

The award in the “Concert of the Year” category went to “Čudars Trio” – Matīss Čudars (guitar), Edvins Ozols (bass) and Ivars Arutjunjans (percussion instruments) for the concert “Melodic avant-garde”, which was performed on July 19 in the cultural space “M/Darbnīca”.

Paula Shumane (violin), Yevgenija Frolova (viola) and Anna Veselova (cello) were also nominated for the award for the concert organized by the Peter Vaska Foundation on May 7 in Mazaja Mežotne Palace, as well as the concert performance of Richard Wagner’s opera “Tristan und Isolde” organized by the Cēsis Art Festival 9 in July in the “Cēsis” concert hall – soloists, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Andris Poga.

Young artist of the year

The title of young artist of the year was won by singer Arta Jēkabsone.

The trio “Metamorfoze” and the students of the Musical Department of the Riga Dome Choir School also applied for the prize for the musical “Pūt, vējini!” by Kārlis Lāčas. in the production.

Performance of the year

The jury of the Great Music Award recognized Anna Fischer’s opera “Vēsā” as the performance of the year. The creative team of the opera includes the author of the idea and scenographer Katrīna Neiburga, conductor Artūrs Gailis, director Klāvs Mellis, movement director Kristīne Brīniņa, costume designers – Katrīna Neiburga, Berta Vilipson, producer – Una Rozenbaum, sound director – Tālis Timrots, performers – musicians of the Latvian Radio Choir. , etc

Also nominated for the award in this category were Alfred Kalniņš’s opera “Baņuta” “Tu jau zini kur” in Tallinn street quarter (musical director Jēkabs Nīmanis, director Franciska Kronfota, organizers – “Story Hub”, society “Sanssusi”, “Hauen und Stechen”), as well as Jānis Kalniņš’s opera “Hamlet” at the Latvian National Opera (conductor Mārtiņš Ozoliņš, director Kristīna Vuss, organizer – LNOB).

The “audience sympathy” vote on the “DELFI” portal took place from February 13 to March 5. The nominee in the “Young Artist of the Year” category received the most audience votes – students of the Riga Dome Choir School’s musical department of Kārlis Lāča’s musical “Pūt, vējiņi!” in the production.

The ceremony was led by Anete Ashmane-Wilson and Ints Teterovskis. Participants: Jūlija Vasiļjeva (soprano), Rihards Millers (baritone), Juris Ādamsons (baritone), Krišjānis Norvelis (bass), Ārika Miller (piano), Paula Šūmane (violin), Yevgenija Frolova (viola), Anna Veselova (cello) . Jēkabsone and Una Stade (voice), Krists Saržants (piano), Matīss Čudars (guitar), Kārlis Lācis (piano), students and graduates of the Riga Dome Choir School musical department, trio “Metamorfoze”, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Aivis Greters, State Academic Choir “Latvija” and conductor Krista Audere, “Sinfonietta Rīga” and conductor Normunds Šnė, Latvian National Opera Orchestra and conductor Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.

The 2022 jury of the Grand Music Awards included: musicologist, jury chairwoman Daina Markova; musicologist, Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika” journalist Ilze Medne; musicologist, Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika” journalist Maruta Rubeze; musicologist, music teacher and lecturer Iveta Grunde; music and theater critic, researcher at the Scientific Research Center of Jāzepa Vītola Latvian Academy of Music Lauma Mellēna-Bartkeviča; Mareks Ameriks, founder and manager of the jazz music publishing house “Jersika Records”; publicist Ilmars Šlāpins.

The Grand Music Award is (LMB) Latvia’s highest national award in music. In 1993, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, on the initiative of the then Minister of Culture Raimonds Paulus, decided to annually honor the best achievements in the musical life of our country with a special award. The high prestige of LMB, both in society and in musicians’ circles, is ensured by the work of a respectable jury, whose members attend concerts throughout the year and meet monthly at meetings. At the beginning of January, the jury nominates the previous year’s LMB nominees, who are announced at a special press conference of the Ministry of Culture, and only before the LMB presentation event itself, the jury votes for the laureates.

The LMB event is organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and VSIA “Latvijas Koncerti”.