Choir's Staff
Romāns Vanagsromans@latnet.lv Since 1987 Romans Vanags (born on the 19th of August, 1960) has been the chief conductor and artistic director of the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga 1st Music School boys' choir as well as professor at the arts' school. A graduate of Emils Darzins' specialized music college and of the Department of Choir and Orchestra Conducting of Jazeps Vitols' Latvian State Conservatory in Riga (currently named - Jazeps Vitols’ Latvian Academy of Music). He received diploma in choir conducting as well as in music pedagogy. In addition, he masters symphonic orchestra conducting. In 2003 he received professional master's degree in music. Romans Vanags' professional work has been connected with conducting and pedagogy. Romans Vanags has been the chief conductor of teachers' choir named "Vanema" for years (1984-2004) and since 1990 he has been the principal conductor of "Minjona" female choir of the University of Latvia. In 1990-1993 he was the principal conductor of Jazeps Medins Music College Symphonic Orchestra. Since 1987 Romans Vanags was employed at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga as a professor of choir conducting and as the conductor of the training choir. Since 2005 till 2012 he was the Head of the Conducting Department of Jazeps Vitols' Latvian Academy of Music in Riga. Romans Vanags has been the organizer of numerous conducting courses in Latvia and abroad and has worked in juries of many international choir competitions. He has also been appointed amongst the chief conductors of the Latvian Song Festival (in 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2013) and the Youth Song Festival (in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015) as well. Since 2004 Romans Vanags is the chairman of the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO on the Latvian Song and Dance Festival affairs. Since 2008 he is also a council member of the World Choir Games (WCG) organization. Since 2012 assoc. prof. Romans Vanags is the artistic director of the WCG 2014 in Riga. Since August 2014 Romans Vanags is the Artistic director of Interkultur (Germany) organization and also the chairman of the Latvian choral conductors’ board. The choirs conducted by Romans Vanags have won prestigious international awards (Arezzo, Debrecen, Tour, Varna, Powel River etc.) and made concert tours and given performances all over the world. In 2008 he received the highest civil decoration in Latvia – the Order of Three Stars. Latest activities Artistic leader and chief conductor for big national and international events: 2011 - Artistic director and chief conductor of Song Festival "Riga 810" (Latvia) 2012 - Chief conductor of Nordic Baltic Song Festival in Helsinki (Finland) 2013 - Chief conductor of XXV All Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (Latvia) 2014 - Artistic director and chief conductor of 8th World Choir Games in Riga (Latvia) 2015 - Artistic director and chief conductor of Nordic Baltic Song Festival in Riga (Latvia) 2015 - Artistic director of 2nd European Choir Games in Magdeburg (Germany) 2015 - Chief conductor of European Latvian Song Festival in Brussels (Belgium) International jury member 2011 - Jury chairman of IX International Choir competition "Silver bells" Daugavpils, (Latvia) 2011 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Budapest, (Hungary) 2011 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Petrina, (Croatia) 2012 - Jury member of World Choir Games Cincinnati, Ohio, (USA) 2012 - Jury member of International Franz Schubert Choir Competition Vienna, (Austria) 2012 - Jury member of International Choir Competition "Singing world" St. Petersburg, (Russia) 2012 - Jury member of International Choir Competition 21th Cetury Genting Heights, (Malaysia) 2013 - Jury chairman of X International Choir competition "Silver bells" Daugavpils, (Latvia) 2013 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Venezia, (Italy) 2013 - Jury member of International Student Choir Competition Gaudeamus Kaunas, (Lithuania) 2013 - Jury member of European Choir Games Graz, (Austria) 2013 - Jury member of 3rd Asia Pacific choir games Manado, (Indonesia) 2013 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Valletta, (Malta) 2013 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Calella, (Spain) 2013 - Jury chairman of National Choir Competition Vilnius, (Lithuania) 2014 - Jury chairman of International Choir Competition St. Petersburg (Russia) 2014 - Jury chairman of International Choir Competition Bratislava (Slovakia) 2014 - Jury member of International Choir Competition Bad Ishl (Austria) 2014 - Jury chairman of International Choir Competition Rimini (Italy) Masterclass and workshops 2010 - masterclass in Conservatorio di Musica G.Verdi Milano (Italy) 2010 - masterclass in Stellenbosch University (South Africa) 2010 - workshop in Zagreb 1st ARS CCORALIS conductors’ symposium (Chroatia) 2010 - workshop in Nordic Baltic song festival Reykjavik (Iceland) 2011 - masterclass in Conservatorio di Musica St. Cecilia Rome (Italy) 2012 - workshop in Zagreb 2nd ARS CCORALIS conductors’ symposium (Chroatia) 2012 - workshop in Interkultur Choral Symposium Guangzhou (China) 2012 - workshop in Nordic Baltic song festival Helsinki (Finland) 2012 - workshop in International choral Academy Concordis (Malaysia, Singapore) 2013 - masterclass in Royal Academy of Music Aarhus (Denmark) 2013 - workshop in 3rd Asia Pacific choir games Manado (Indonesia) 2013 - masterclass in Santa Rosa del Lima Music School Macao, (China) 2014 - workshop in Coservatory of China, Beijing (China) 2014 - workshop in University of Hawaii, Honolulu (USA) 2014 - masterclass in Shanghai Conservatory (China) 2014 - masterclass in Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University St.Peterburg (Russia) 2015 - masterclass in Beijing China Central Conservatory (China) |
Tālivaldis Gulbist.gulbis@inbox.lv Born in 1961. A graduate of Emils Darzins' specialized music college, Jazeps Medins music high school and the Latvian Music Academy (the Department of Choir Conduction). Since 1988 he has been the professor and conductor of the boys' choir in the Jazeps Medins music school. |