Gido Kokars
1921–2017
Conductor, educator
A notable and beloved Latvian conductor of the second half of the 20th century.
Born on 16 August 1921 in Gulbene. First educated at the Blome elementary school (1929-1936). Joined the newly established Cēsis Teachers’ Institute in 1938 and continued his studies at the Jelgava and Rēzekne Teachers’ Institutes (1942-1943). After the Second World War, studied at the Latvian State Pedagogical Institute’s extramural department and at the Cēsis Music secondary school (1948-1950). From 1951 to 1956, studied at the Latvian State Conservatory’s Choir-conducting department.
Having started work at the Pedagogical Institute, he founded the Daina mixed choir, with which he very soon achieved major success – taking top place at the XIIth Song Festival (1955). The Soviet Student newspaper writes about their winning of the choir competition at the next – 1960 –Song Festival: “First place is maintained. 96 people have put in a lot of effort, but one of them has put in the most: all his thoughts, energy, the organising talent, himself. Every singer knows that. Gido Kokars is not just the conductor, but the heart and soul of the choir: it is his passion and joy that binds the whole choir together, in joint labours, in shared events.” (Verners, Arturs, (The Choir-conducting Kokars brothers), 1981. p 43)
Following the reorganisation of the Pedagogical Institute, Gido Kokars becomes a lecturer at the State University of Latvia, and the choir too is reborn too as Daile (Beauty), the mixed choir of the State Committee for Professional Technical Education Cultural centre, and Kokars remains its artistic director and principal conductor until 1990. Daile becomes the longest-serving champion choir in song-festival history, holding its title for nigh on half a century (1955-1990).
In the following years, Kokars nurtured his next creations too – Auseklis (Morning Star) the Rīga Radio Factory male choir (1960-1967), Daina the Bauska District Teachers’ choir (1965-1998) and worked with the Ave Sol chamber choir created by his brother Imants. These choirs have achieved enormous success in countless concert tours and earned prizes in choral music competitions. In addition to working with choirs, for many years Gido Kokars was also a lecturer at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (1961-1996).
A chief conductor at the XVth-XXIInd All-Latvian Song Festivals, Honorary chief conductor at the XXIIIrd-XXVth All-Latvian Song Festivals, a chief conductor at the IInd and IVth Gaudeamus Baltic Students’ Song Festivals, IInd-Vth Latvian Schools’ Song and Dance Festivals, and of district choirs.
Latvian SSR Order of Honour for artistic endeavours (1967), People’s Artist of the Latvian SSR (1977), Officer, Order of the Three Stars (1996), Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia Award (2000), Life Beneficiary of the State Culture Capital Foundation (2002).
![Kordiriģenti Imants un Gido Kokari :[monogrāfija] /Arturs Verners.](https://dziesmusvetki.lndb.lv/wp-content/uploads/objects/488663/resized/2resized_thumbnail.png)
