Riga Cathedral Boys Choir, Latvia
Riga Cathedral Boys Choir
is a unit of young and very young talented musicians, rich in ways, popular in Latvia and abroad, that is able to express themselves in whole spectrum of music field and always the choir’s performances are of high quality. The singers are students and graduates of the Riga Cathedral Choir School that has been a state cultural institution in our country since 1994. For 9 years now, 4 art schools in Riga have been combined into one – National School of the Arts (https://nmv.gov.lv/) -a unique European-level professional secondary school that combines the best of the world’s choral school traditions and Latvian cultural education, allowing gifted children to develop their talent in the field of vocal music from an early age. Our choir school is one of them. Here, children have the opportunity to start training from the age of 4. Traditional state schools start only from the age of seven. Boys learn different music subjects, such as choral singing, solo singing, solfeggio, learn the piano and have a possibility to choose also another instrument and receive a grade for them. After a few years, they can join the boys’ choir as a soprano or alto. Our choir singers are aged 9 to 14.
The choir was first established in Latvia in 1950. It consists of a very well musically educated treble singers and a professional male group. Since 1994 the boys have been a part of the Riga Dom Choir School. It consists of 45 treble singers (SA) and 15 professional male singers (TB). Concert staff minimum- 40 singers SATB.
Started from 1993 the choir has recorder 24 solo CDs and participated in several recording co-projects. The newest recording “Mozart” is released in May 2014. The CD “ Ave Maria”, recorded in 2011, and the CD “J.S. Bach Choral Motets” (2009) were nominated to the Great Award as the best recording of a year. The CD “Odi Et Amo” (2000) in collaboration with Latvian contemporary composer Ugis Praulins got the Great Award as the best recording of a year 1999.
President of the United States, the president of Finland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkey, H. R .H. Prince Charles and HM Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom, participants of NATO summit (2006) have all enjoyed performances in Riga. The choir concert tours have been highly appreciated by the public and press.
The choir regularly collaborates with the concert organization “Latvijas koncerti” and under the guidance of this organization it performs in festivals: Restart Bach (2006, 2007), Mozart Music Festival (2006, 2015, 2016), Sacral Music (Voices of Angels in 2007 together with Ensemble Pierre Robert under conducting Frederic Desenclos, L. Bernstein Mass in 2007, Easter Music (St. John’s Passion by J. S. Bach, Stabat Mater by G. B. Pergolesi in 2008 together with soloists and Baroque Orchestra “Collegium Musicum Riga”), Europe Christmas. ”Latvijas koncerti” annually organizes several concerts of the Boys Choir in Riga and other towns .
The choir’s partners also are the concert organizations “Eesti Kontsert” that has organized concerttours with various programs to Estonia in 2002 and 2007, and November 2008 – V. A. Mozart “Requiem”, performance of L. Bernstein’s “Mass” during the Birgitta Music Festival (2014) in Tallinn, Estonia.
Also Japanese concertorganization “ARS Tokyo” during the last 19 years regularly organizes great and long concerttours to Japan.
The choir takes part in International Sacral Music festivals and International Boys Choirs’ festivals as well. The last were in 2014 in Hradec Kralov, Czech Republic and Poznan, Poland. In 2011 the choir took part in Schwäbisch Gmünd Sacral music festival in Germanyalso in Lucerne Festival in Switzerland in 2009, where our choir was a part of the performance of “Song of Solomon 8” by A. Knaifel; but in 2006 was de La Chaise- Dieu festival in France, where together with France Orchestra d’Auvergne and Cappella Amsterdam under conducting the Dutch conductor Arie van Beek was performed “St. Mattheus Passion” by J. S. Bach; Legnano Sacral music festival in Italy in 2005.
In 2005 Riga Cathedral Boys Choir represented Latvia during the Latvian Culture days in France (sacral music concerts in Paris were organized by Phillipe Maillard productions). But in 2015 the choir gave concerts at the opening ceremony of Latvia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Vilnius and in Helsinki.
Regularly the Boys Choir takes part in several performances of Latvian National Opera: G. Bizet “Carmen”, P. Tchaikovsky “Queen of Spades”(until 2022), V. A. Mozart “Magic Flute”, Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Toska”, G. Verdi “Otello”, Masne “Verter” and Latvian contemporary composers’ A. Maskats “Valentina” and Janis Lusen’s “Birds’ Opera” for children. The boys have participated also in a drama theatre performances: “Dreadnoughts” and “ Rebellious Riga”.
On the 6th of June 2010 Riga Cathedral Boys choir under conductor Martins Klisans performed in the White House in honour of renovation of Ford Theatre where the President Barack Obama and the first lady Michelle Obama organized reception.
This reception in the White House gathered many judges of art and music, philantropists and stars- South Africa Anglican archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu, singers Lionel Richie, Kelly Clarkson and others among them.
It was the first time for any Latvian choir to perform in the White House when the President and the first lady attend the concert. This Riga Cathedral Boys Choir’s performance confirms the tight friendship and partnership between Latvia and the U.S.A., celebrating the 20th anniversary of resumption of Latvia’s independence. At the same time it was the great present for the choir’s 60th anniversary
The Riga Cathedral Boys Choir took part in the World Choir games in Riga 2014 and 2017.
In autumn 2016 Latvian National Symphonic orchestra celebrated the 90th anniversary. There were two concerts “La Damnation de Faust”by H. Berlioz under the famous conductor Vassily Sinaisky. Our boys choir took part in those performances as well.
During Christmas 2016 “The Creation” by J. Haydn was performed by this choir, soloists and orchestra Sinfonietta Riga.
The Royal Alberthall welcomed in London 8 world’s outstanding youth choirs during the Easter 2017 and the Riga Cathedral Boys Choir was one of them that gave a spectacular solo performance for more than 4000 listeners.
In 2024 the choir performed in Denmark together with Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir.
65th anniversary, in March 2025, the choir, together with the Sinfonietta Rīga orchestra and soloists, performed G. F. Handel’s oratorio « Messiah ».
Tours of the choir:
2025 – Germany
2024 – Denmark
2023 – Lithuania
2018 -Japan
2017 – Great Britain, Estonia
2015 – Lithuania, Finland
2014 – Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland
2012 – Germany
2011 – Germany
2010 – the USA
2009 – Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden
2008 – Finland, Estonia, Japan
2007 – Russia (Moscow), Estonia
2006 – France
2005 – Italy, France
2004 – Czech Republic, Japan
2002 – the USA, Finland, Estonia
2001 – Switzerland
2000 – the USA
1999 – Japan
1998 – Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Great Britain
1997 – Russia, Germany, Netherlands, France
1996 – Germany, France
1995 – the USA, Japan, Canada
1994 – Belgium, France, Netherlands, Germany, Andorra
1993 – Sweden
1992 – Germany, Netherlands, the USA, Canada
1991 – Sweden, Norway
1988 – Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France
Composers and their major works from the Boys Choir repertoire :
J. S. Bach Christmas Oratorio
J. S. Bach St. John’s Passion
J. S. Bach Motets
J. S. Bach Cantatas
A. Honegger Joan of Arc Oratorio
J. Haydn The Creation
G. Mahler 8th Symphony
B. Britten War Requiem
B. Britten Rejoice in the Lamb
W.H. Harper Marlithendur
V. A. Mozart C Dur Mass
V. A. Mozart Coronation Mass
V. A. Mozart Requiem
G. F. Handel Dixit Dominus
G. F. Handel Messiah
J. Rutter Magnificat
U. Praulins Missa Rigensis
U. Praulins Te Deum
U. Praulins Odi Et Amo
A. Maskats St. Cecilia’s Day