Ieva Klingenberga was born on September 17, 1986 in Riga, Latvia. She studied Music theory and Composition at the Emils Darzinš College of Music (2002-2006). In 2006 she started her studies of Composition at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music with assoc. professor Andris Vecumnieks, accomplished her Bachelor’s degree in 2010. Ieva Klingenberga improved her knowledge of Composition at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki in 2008. She studied there as a part of the Socrates/Erasmus student exchange programme with Lauri Kilpiö. Currently she studies for the Master’s degree in Composition at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music with university lecturer Rolands Kronlaks. Ieva Klingenberga has participated at the International Latvian Young Musicians’ Camp in Ogre (2004), the Donaueschinger Musiktage Workshops for students The Next Generation (2009, 2010, 2011) and the Workshop for students as a part of the Schwetzinger Festspiele (2010) in Germany. Her music has been performed at the music festival Latvian New Music Days in Riga (2011) and in other concerts. Videosample: "Tänzerin" for voice, flute, percussions, electronics and video projections: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkBvjJhhBvQ,
http://www.myspace.com/ievaklingenberga/

Rolands Kronlaks was born in Liepaja on March 20, 1973. He studied composition with Tamara Kalna at Jazeps Medinš Secondary Music School and with Gederts Ramans at Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA), graduating the Academy in 1996. After postgraduate studies at JVLMA with professor Juris Karlsons he obtained his Master’s diploma in 2002. Rolands Kronlaks completed IRCAM composition and electronic music courses in Paris, where he studied with Phillipe Hurel, Marco Stroppa, Brian Ferneyhough and others (1998–1999). He took part in young composers’ seminars at Ivanov (Russia, 1996–1997) and studied with David Rowland at Enschede Conservatory in the Netherlands in frames of the TEMPUS program (1997). Rolands Kronlaks participated in Franco Donatoni’s masterclass in Mexico (1998) and, under the Royaumont Foundation Program Voix nouvelles studied at the Abbey of Royaumont (France) with Brian Ferneyhough, José Evangelista, and Jean-Luc Hervé (2000). From 2004 to 2006 he studied composition with Hanspeter Kyburz and electroacoustic music with Wolfgang Heiniger at Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. Compositions of Rolands Kronlaks have been performed in concerts and festivals in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany and France by such musical units as Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Nieuw Ensemble, Court-Circuit Ensemble, The Latvian Radio Choir, Sinfonieta Riga and others. Rolands is a member of JVLMA Composition Department and teaches composition, contemporary composition techniques, electroacoustic music and contemporary music notation. Since 2007 Rolands Kronlaks pursues doctoral studies at Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music under the supervision of professor Jelena Lebedeva. His research topic is related to the manifestations of self-similarity and biological growth phenomena in the contemporary composition techniques.

"I am proud that I am a Latvian composer, since we have an incalculable wealth – Latvian folk songs, whose melodic intonations and substantive imagery is an inexhaustible fountain for works in many different compositional techniques." Selga Mence

Selga Mence was born on January 12th, 1953 in Liepaja. Her father – math teacher Janis Mencis. In his youth, he studied choir conducting at the Jekabs Vitolinš Education Institute of Riga. Her brother Janis Mencis Jr. is also a mathematician. Selga Mence graduated the 5th High School of Liepaja, with a focus on German (gold medal, 1971), after two years she was at the Emils Melngailis Music College of Liepaja, then the composition class at the Latvian State Conservatory and studies with Pauls Dambis (1978, 1988). She has studied musicology. She worked for many years at the Latvian Culture Ministry Repertoire Editorial Council (1980–1987). In the 80s, she managed the children’s music sphere in the Composers’ Union. As of 1985, she is a lecturer and is currently an associate professor in the Latvian Academy of Music composition department. As of 2004, Selga Mence has been the head of the composition department at the Latvian Academy of Music. Selga Mence’s name was first highlighted in association with choir music. Her works were performed at the Scandinavian Song Festival in Norway in 2000 and at many Song Festivals in Latvia, the United States, and Canada. Many Latvian choirs have achieved victory at international competitions with her works. Selga Mence has participated in such projects as the Songbridge 2000 festival Europa Cantat XIV in Nevers, France, and at the Month of European Music in 2001, Basel. Her cycle Dziesmas (Songs) for two pianos was included in the top ten recommended works at the 1999 International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. Choir songs, children’s music – in these genres of creative work Selga Mence’s bright emotionality has been especially expressed, as well as the liveliness of musical images, love of Latvian folk verses with the traditional, stable world of value. Often using Latvian (and Liv) folk melodies and texts (often blurring the boundary between folksong arrangement and original music) altogether included in the national romantic tradition that still is developed with contemporary compositional materials. The works display sonoric colouristic possibilities and aleatoric characteristically improvisational games. Of highest importance is the intonative material that, determinedly and logically – Selga Mence’s characteristic qualities – directs, sets alight the work’s overall perception. Guntars Pupa correctly wrote, that she, as one of the first of the new composers, actualised melody in Latvian music in the 80s. (Literatura un Maksla, 1986). It is possible that, due to this creative influence, the song genre has become significant in her newest instrumental writings, in a symbolic way concentrating within herself a very nuanced poetic character.

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Jachin Pousson is an American musician, composer and sound designer currently living in Riga, Latvia. Before pursuing musical endeavors he was a commercial graphic designer and film-maker. He began performing music professionally in Singapore as a drummer and lyricist, leading to several international festival appearances and showcases. Following that he became a humanitarian worker in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe where he often took on an additional role to document the work in writing, film, photography or sound recording, making many personal recordings of his own. Subsequently he moved to Copenhagen for a formal music education in composition. Drawn to the musical aesthetic of the Baltics, he is at present pursuing further music education in Latvia. http://rainworld.wix.com/music

Indra Riše was born on June 11th, 1961 in Ogre, Latvia. Having graduated from the Jazeps Vitols Latvian State Conservatory as a pianist in 1985, Indra Riše turned her attention to composing music and completed her second round of education, graduating from professor Peteris Plakidis’ composition class in 1990. In 1993, Indra Riše won the scholarship of the Danish Ministry of Culture and went to Copenhagen, where she continued her advancement in composition with Niels Rosing-Schow and electro-acoustic composition with Ivar Frounberg. Thus she was the first woman in Denmark who mastered a full course in composition. An essential role in her education was played also by: • the Summer Workshop in New Technologies for Music Performance and Composition, University of California, Berkeley (1995); • IRCAM Summer Academy in Paris (1999); • Opera Academy, Oslo (2001); • International Composer’s Center, Visby, Gotland (2004). Indra Riše stayed in Denmark until 2002, composing commissioned works and periodically working as a music copyist and arranger for various orchestras for the Copenhagen Royal Opera, the Samfundet sheet music publisher, and Danish Radio. Indra Riše has written also piano scores from dramatic-musical works by Danish composers (Ib Nørholm, Erik Norby). Since 2002, Indra Riše has been living in Latvia and is active as a composer, revealing her locally and internationally polished talent in a comprehensive variety of genres, from songs for choirs, chamber music and electronic works to symphonic and vocal-symphonic scores. Indra Riše has two dedicated CDs (released in1998 and 2000). The compositions by Indra Riše have been played at festivals and concerts in Baltic States, Scandinavian countries, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia and elsewhere.
http://www.music.lv/Composers/Rise/default.htm

"The search for my inner world of sound seems an eternal one and it is difficult to explain the process… like a slow deep dive… Deeper even into the unknown, not yet felt... Sound, words, silence – all of it truly phenomenal – open to unending possibilities…" Gundega Šmite

Gundega Šmite was born on June 5th, 1977, in Riga. She studied at the Jazeps Medinš College of Music (1992–1998), and also at the Latvian Academy of Culture in the screen and stage theatre art department (1996–1997). In 1998, she began studies at the Vitols Latvian Academy of Music in the composition department with Peteris Plakidis, under whose direction she received her Bachelor’s degree in 2005 and Master’s degree in 2007. She worked as a music theory and piano teacher at the Kekavas Music School (1999–2000), and as organist at the St. John’s Congregation in Philadelphia, USA (2001–02). She was also a teacher at the St. John’s Congregation Latvian School in Philadelphia and later was teacher of music literature at the Riga Music School No. 3 (2002), and as of 2005, she works as a teacher of composition at the Daugavpils College of Music. For her work Parvertibas (Transformations) she won first prize at the Latvian Academy of Music competition (1999) and gained a World Federation of Free Latvians Cultural Foundation recognition certificate for her works Atgriešanas (Homecoming) and Atnakot (Arriving, 2001). She gained 6th place at the 2005 International Rostrum for Composers competition for composers younger than 30, 2nd place (no first place was awarded) at the festival Culturescapes international young composers’ competition (for the work Isochasma, 2006), and received the Talivaldis Keninš Award (2006). She took part in the 5th International Latvian Music Camp at Ogre and also at the Baltic Young Composers’ Mastercourses at Dundaga, and the Academic d’Villecroze in France. In the 2005/2006 academic year, as part of the Socratus Erasmus exchange program, she supplemented her education with studies at the J. Sibelius Academy of Music with Veli-Matti Puumala. Her works have been performed in Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Japan, the U.S.A. and New Zealand. She is a member of the Latvian Composers’ Union (as of 2006), chairman of the board (as of 2009).

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