Jānis Kalniņš (3 November 1904 in

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

– 30 November 2000 in

Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

) was a Latvian Canadian composer and conductor.

Latvia

Jānis Kalniņš was the son of composer

Alfrēds Kalniņš Alfrēds Bruno Jānis Kalniņš (23 August 1879, in Cēsis, Governorate of Livonia – 23 December 1951, in Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian composer, organist, pedagogue, music critic and conductor; the founder of national Latvian opera. Kaln ...

. He was a student first of

Jāzeps Vītols Jāzeps Vītols (; 26 July 1863 – 24 April 1948) was a Latvian composer, pedagogue and music critic. He is considered one of the fathers of Latvian classical music. Biography Vītols, born in Valmiera the son of a schoolteacher, began hi ...

at the

Latvian Academy of Music Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...

, then with

Erich Kleiber Erich Kleiber (5 August 1890 – 27 January 1956) was an Austrian, later Argentine, conductor, known for his interpretations of the classics and as an advocate of Neue Musik. Kleiber was born in Vienna, and after studying at the Prague Conser ...

Hermann Abendroth Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth (19 January 1883 – 29 May 1956) was a German conductor. Early life Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, the son of a bookseller. Several other members of the family were artists in diverse dis ...

and

Leo Blech Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Opernhaus (later the Berlin State Opera / Staatsoper Unter den Linden) from 1906 to 1937, and late ...

. His two major operas were ''Hamlets'' (1936) and ''Ugunī'' (1937).Donald Jay Grout, Hermine Weigel Williams ''A short history of opera'' p671 He was chief conductor of 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 ...

1933–1944.

Canada

Kalniņš emigrated to Canada in 1948, taking a position as an organist in Fredericton, where he worked until retirement in 1991. He was awarded the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

by the King of Sweden and the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () 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 "Through hardships towards the ...

by the State of Latvia, and received a New Brunswick Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1984, among others. Kalnins died in Fredericton in 2000.

Works

* ''Lolita's Wonder Bird'' folktale opera (1935) * ''Hamlets'' (''Hamlet'') Opera (1936) * ''New Brunswick Rhapsody'' (1967) * ''New Brunswick Song Cycle'' (1984) * Requiem (1991)

Selected recordings

New Brunswick Rhapsody
Symphony Orchestra of the National Latvian Opera. Ave Sol BAF 9611, 1996. * "Potter's Field" - choral symphony on Biblical texts in Latvian. Jānis Sproģis (Tenor) with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, conductor Andrejs Jansons (also Alfrēds Kalniņš "The Sea" cantata

Orchestra) Latvian Concert 2004 * ''Hamlet''. Opera studio "Figaro" of Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. Performance in the Castle ruins of Bauska on 16 July 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalnins, Janis 1904 births 2000 deaths Musicians from Pärnu People from Kreis Pernau Latvian composers Latvian conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Canadian classical composers Canadian organists Male organists 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers Canadian male classical composers 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century organists 20th-century Canadian male musicians Latvian World War II refugees Latvian emigrants to Canada Knights of the Order of Vasa