Zigmars Liepiņš (born 14 October 1952 in

Liepāja Liepāja (; liv, Līepõ; see #Names and toponymy, other names) is a state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest-city in the Kurzeme Planning Region, Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country after R ...

Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR), also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was a federated republic within the Soviet Union, and formally one of its 16 (later 15) constituent republics. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Rep ...

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

(now:

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

) is a Latvian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, keyboard player and the chairman of the board for the

Latvian National Opera The Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) is an opera house and opera company at Aspazijas boulevard 3 in Riga. Its repertoire includes performances of opera and ballet presented during the season which lasts from mid-September to the end of Ma ...

. Liepiņš has written songs for choirs, solo artists, orchestras, films, theatres, and operas.

Early life and education

Zigmars Liepiņš was born in a family of musicians in

on 14 October 1952. His father Jānis Liepiņš was a violinist and the first person in Liepāja to learn how to play an electric guitar, he also had an important role in the foundation of Liepāja rock. His mother Lidija had a diploma is singing. The first opera Liepiņs saw was Pyotr Tchaikovsky's '' The Queen of Spades'' in

Liepāja Theatre Liepāja Theatre ( lv, Liepājas teātris) is a theatre in Liepāja, Latvia. It was established in 1907. References External linksOfficial website
Theatres in Latvia Liepāja 1907 establishments in the Russian Empire {{Europe-theat- ...

in early childhood. In 1971 he graduated from Liepāja Music Secondary School (now Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School) and from Latvian State Conservatoire in 1976 (now –

Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music ( lv, Jāzepa Vītola Latvijas Mūzikas akadēmija), formerly the Riga Conservatory, is a higher education establishment of music at 1 Barona Street, Riga, Latvia. The junior institute is the Emīls Dār ...

Career

At the age of seventeen, he started composing and joined Liepāja band ''Santa'' which he left a year later. In 1970 band Santa took part in the festival '' Liepājas Dzintars'' where Liepiņš received an award for the best folk song arrangement. Liepiņš was a keyboard player and songwriter for band ''Modo'' (1973 – 1976 and 1977–1982), and also their manager (1978–1982). While in the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

(1976–1978) Liepiņš was in band '' Zvaigznīte''. Upon returning from the army, Liepiņš re-joined ''Modo''. In 1982 ''Modo'' changed their name to ''

Opus ''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.). Opus or OPUS may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...

'' and under Liepiņš' management existed until 1989. In the 1980s, Liepiņš became popular with numerous hits of the time (''Vēl ir laiks, Viss kārtībā, Ceļojums, Dziesma par rozīti, Sentiments)''. In 1983 Liepiņš wrote the soundtrack for the film Vajadzīga soliste (Soloist Needed) where he also played himself. It was his debut in cinema music.

Other work

1989–1992 Liepiņš was the director of ''Showimpex,'' a concert agency, 1991–1995 – the director of a recording company ''L&M.'' 1992–2007 Liepiņš was the president and shareholder of Radio SWH. Since 2013 he has been the chairman of the board for the

Personal life

Liepiņš has two children with a Latvian singer, producer, film director and entrepreneur Mirdza Zīvere – Zane Kursīte and Jānis Liepiņš. Liepins' son Jānis Liepiņš is a conductor in the

Works

Music for choirs and solo artists

* 2000: song cycle ''Teika'' for a mixed choir and soloist * 2001: ''Tēvzemei un Brīvība'' for a symphonic orchestra, mixed choir and soloist * 2007: ''Dziedot dzimu, dziedot augu''

Film scores

* 1984: '' Vajadzīga soliste'' * 1987'': Sēd uz sliekšņa pasaciņa'' * 1988: '' Skaitāmpanti'' * 1990'': Ness un Nesija''

Music for theatre

* 1976: ''Spartaks'' (Latvian National Theatre) * 1977: ''Emīls un Berlīnes zēni'' (Latvian National Theatre) * 1979: ''Iedomu spoguļi'' (Latvian National Opera) * 1979: ''Žanna D’Arka'' * 1981: ''Iela'' '' ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1985: ''Punktiņa un Antons'' (Liepāja Theatre) * 1985: ''Atvadu izrāde'' (Valmiera Theatre) * 1986: ''Ķiršu dārzs'' (Valmiera Theatre) * 1987: ''Mirabo'' (Latvian National Theatre) * 1987: ''Momo'' * 1992: ''Suns'' '' ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1993: ''Jēzus'' '' ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1995: ''Svešinieki šeit ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1996: ''Trešais vārds ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1996: ''Trīs musketieri ''(Latvian National Theatre) * 1996: ''Trīs draugi'' * 1998: Solis laika * 2007: musical drama ''Adata'' (Latvian National Theatre)

Opera

* 1988:

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

Lāčplēsis ''Lāčplēsis'' ("The Bear-Slayer") is an epic poem by Andrejs Pumpurs, a Latvian poet, who wrote it between 1872 and 1887 based on local legends. It's set during the Livonian Crusades telling the story of the mythical hero Lāčplēsis "th ...

* 1997: opera ''Parīzes Dievmātes katedrāle'' (Latvian National Opera) * 2000: opera ''No Rozes un asinīm'' (Latvian National Opera)

Other

* 1975: Instrumental cycle ''Diennakts'' * 1985: Instrumental music ''Pulss 2'' * 1994: ''Vakara mūzika'' * 1996: Music for the firework display in Ventspils * 2008: ''Kapteiņa stāsti'' * 2012:

Concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

for a violin and orchestra * 2014: ''Transcendental Oratorio''

Awards and nominations

In 1997 Liepiņš received the Latvian Music Award for the opera ''Parīzes Dievmātes katedrāle (Notre-Dame de Paris)''. In 2002 Liepiņš was awarded the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

(Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis).

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liepins, Zigmars 1952 births Living people Latvian composers Musicians from Liepāja