Musicians’ Standoff / Second season
Winner Tīna Gelnere
FINALISTS 27.09.2023.
Tīna Gelnere
VS
Guna Šnē
Semi-final 14.09.2023.
Tīna Gelnere
VS
Oskars Kalniņš
Rūdolfs Rubenis
VS
Guna Šnē
Second quarter-final
Tīna Gelnere
VS
Līga Griķe
Uģis Upenieks
VS
Guna Šnē
First quarter-final
Edgars Karpenskis Allažs
VS
Rūdolfs Rubenis
Oskars Kalniņš
VS
Marta Balode
Fourth round11.08.2023.
Photo insight into the 4th elimination round of the Sansusī Musicians’ Standoff
First pair
Edgars Karpenskis- Allažs
Edgars is currently studying at the Hague Conservatory, having previously studied at various schools in Riga. This is his second time participating in the fights, hoping that this time he will do better. Edgars’ first opponent in the fights, Laura Muceniece, says the following: “Edgars is a great musician and a virtuoso of his instrument (yes, that same long wooden log or bassoon). Although outwardly he seems nice and peaceful, as experts say, quiet bassoonists are the most aggressive!”
Kristians Kalva
Kristians Kalva is one of Latvia’s brightest young jazz trumpeters. This year he completed his studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with famous European trumpeters Rik Mol, Martijn de Laat and Frank van der Poel, and has received recognition in various international competitions. In the last two years he has passed the competition and was selected as a lead trumpeter in the Jong Metropole Orkest for further projects, where he has performed with world-famous artists Donny McCaslin, Michelle David, and also won the UMO Big Band Freelancer competition in Finland. Currently, he is actively playing with Dutch pop/jazz diva Trijntje Oosterhuis and the Caribbean group Cache Royale. He regularly collaborates with the most important Latvian orchestras – the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the chamber orchestra “Sinfonietta Rīga”, the Latvian National Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the orchestra “Rīga”. He has also performed in foreign projects – in the USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Spain, etc.
Second pair
Guna Šnē
Studied at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (2003 – 2004, class of Professor Eleonora Testeļec). Since 2004, student of the Hans Eisler University of Music (Berlin) (class of Professor H. J. Ešenburg). Participated in chamber music and solo master classes with M. Rostropovich, D. Göring, V. Bother, A. Jehner, etc. Gained professional experience playing in the J. S. Bach Academy Stuttgart Orchestra (2003, 2004, conductor H. Rilling), the Gustav Mahler Youth Symphony Orchestra (2005, 2006, conductor K. Abbado, etc.), the Kamerphilharmonie Amade, etc. As a soloist she has performed with the J. Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia Concertante chamber orchestra, the Riga Chamber Orchestra, the Vidzeme Chamber Orchestra, the E. Dārziņš Music High School Symphony Orchestra. A scholarship holder of the G. Mahler Orchestra and the Swiss Dome Foundation. G. Āboltiņa plays a private German instrument from the Dr. Haubert Foundation. Laureate of the K. Davidova (2002) and A. Dombrovska (2005) international cellist competitions, and has also received recognition at the Latvian College of Music (2003), the J. Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (2004) chamber ensemble competition and the Yamaha scholarship competition for string instruments (2004). Arvīds Bomiks
Ēvalds Lazarevičs
Ēvalds started playing the piano at the age of 7. Studied at the Daugavpils Music School with Elīna Bambane. Then at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School (Riga) with Lelde Paula. studies at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music with Juris Zvikovs. Ēvalds has participated in many festivals and master classes as a soloist and chamber musician in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the USA. At the Sigulda International Master Classes he won the Knuts Lesiņš Award for Young Musicians (3 solo concerts in the USA). Ēvalds participated in the master classes of Dinas Jofe (RU), Ugas Grant (USA), Vsevolod Dvorkin (IT), Diana Ketlere (Great Britain), Vestarda Šimkus (LV) and others.
Third round 25.07.2023.
Photo report from the Musicians Standoff
Pirmais pāris
Uģis Upenieks
Studied at JMRMV, JVLMA. Plays with various bands and projects – Trio Tresensus, Miķelis Dzenuška and ‘Uzvaras bulvāris’. Currently touring with the band ‘Zodiaks’. Plays and does what he wants.
Ritvars Garoza
Pianist Ritvars Garoza is known for his original music and arrangements. His field of activity includes big band and string chamber orchestra, as well as electronic and jazz music. Ritvars is known to the wider public as a composer and keyboardist in the group “Lupa”, which in 2023 received the Golden Microphone Award in the nomination “Best Jazz Album” for the studio album “Koki”. Outside of jazz and original music, he participates in various experimental projects, the most famous of which is the “Woodpecker Project”.
Otrais pāris
Arnita Lipska
Arnita graduated from Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music Secondary School and is currently studying at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. She has participated in many Latvian and international musician competitions, and is actively involved in various ensembles and orchestras. She also performed at the Sanssouci Festival with the ensemble “Flap trio” in the summer of 2022.
Oskars Kalniņš
Young, promising musician Oskars Kalniņš. Studied at the Riga Dome Choir School, currently studying cello, piano, composition at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School and organ at the Jurmala Music Secondary School. Laureate of several competitions. Performed in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany and Japan.
Second round 11.07.2023.
Photo insight into the 2nd elimination round of the Sansusī Musicians’ Standoff Tournament, where pianist Marta Balode and mezzo-soprano Tīna Ģelnere advance to the 1/4 finals
Annemarija Gulbe
First pair
Marta Balode
Marta received her bachelor’s degree from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in the class of Prof. Sergejs Osokin, and completed her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in the class of Prof. Eliane Rodrigues. She won first place in the “VII Riga International Young Pianist Competition” and had the opportunity to participate in master classes at the “Piano academy Feuerwerk” in Einbeck, Germany. Marta is active in both solo and chamber music genres.
Rinalds Rozenlauks
PIKC NMV Emīls Dārziņš Music School. Rinalds is a winner of the Linards Cīrulis Award and the VIVAT FUTURE cash prize, has won 1st Place in the Eduards Mednis Competition in 2019 and Naujene Wind in 2020 and 2021. When performing, Rinalds always gets great joy and inspiration for future goals and challenges.
Otrais pāris
Tīna Gelnere
The mezzo-soprano graduated from the JVLMA’s master’s opera class with Antra Jankava. She studied in Italy at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma as part of the European Opera Academy, and in 2020 graduated from the opera school at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in the UK. She has sung at the Welsh National Opera, British Youth Opera, Minotaur Opera, and has performed in various concert halls, including Chichester Cathedral, the Wales Millennium Centre, and the Peacock Theatre in the West End. Her repertoire includes the role of Angelina in the opera La Cenerentola, Dorabella – Così fan Tutte, Nancy – Albert Herring and others. In 2021, after 10 years of living in the UK, Tīna returned to Latvia, where she sings, performing at the DeciBels contemporary music festival, the Ad Astra concerts of the Operetta Theatre under the direction of American conductor Gregory Bookhalter, collaborating with the Zīmejumu Theatre led by Varas Klausīts, and has created and directed the choir for foreigners, The Latvian Choir for Expats.
Kira Maija Kirsanova
Kira Maija Kirsanova studies oboe at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. She studied at the P. Jurjāns Music School and the Emīls Dārziņš Music Secondary School. In 2015, she won 1st place in the State Wind Instrument Competition. In addition to her love for the world of academic music, Kira has been playing in the post-folk band “Zāle” for many years, which received the “Golden Microphone” award in 2015 in the category “Best Folk or World Music Album”.
First round 28.06.2023.
Photo preview of the 1st elimination round of the Sansusī Musicians’ Standoff Tournament, where concert flute player Līga Griķe and saxophonist Rūdolfs Pēteris Rubenis are advancing to the 1/4 finals!
Annemarija Gulbe
First pair
RŪDOLFS PĒTERIS RUBENIS
Latvijas saksofonistu cunftes pārstāvis, aktīvi muzicē ar draugiem un kolēģiem Aigaru Raumani, Miķelis Dzenuška and others. Rubenis received his musical education at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, participated in the Trio Konbrio project, and is a member of the saxophone quartet ATOMOS.
ĒRIKS MIEZIS
Percussionist, vibraphonist, composer and arranger. Studied at the JVLMA and the Basel Academy of Music. Works in the genres of jazz and academic music. Participated in the projects “Ainavisti”, Serendipity and Trio KonBrio. Composed for the ensemble Trio Tresensus for the program at the festival “Sanssous”. Writes for the magazine “Mūzikas Saule” and JAZZin.lv, leads master classes for young musicians.
Otrais pāris
LĪGA GRIĶE
Līga received her master’s degree from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in 2021 under the guidance of Anda Eglīte and has furthered her knowledge elsewhere in Europe. She has participated in numerous international competitions, concerts and festivals as a soloist, member of a kokle ensemble, as well as as a chamber musician in Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Slovakia, England, the USA, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc. Her latest chamber music collaboration projects are TRIO TRESENSUS (kokles, saxophone, percussion), kokle ensemble CANTATA and DUO LINGA (kokles and clarinet).
ALEKSANDRS KALĒJS
The Latvian pianist, who has performed in almost all European countries, including the oldest music festival in the Netherlands, has given a concert tour in the USA. In New York, he became a laureate of the Gershwin Competition, as well as received recognition for his interpretations of Bach, Latvian, Scriabin and contemporary music. At the same time, in a duet with viola Dāvis Sliecāns, he constantly creates new concert programs, as well as wins the Grand Prix at the Blackhead Brotherhood Competition and the 24th Brussels International Music Competition. He studied piano in Riga and Vienna with Sergejs Osokin (JVLMA), Dina Atte (EDMV) and Avedis Kouyoumdjian (MDW).
