Jānis Baltiņš

1960
Conductor, teacher

Jānis Baltiņš began his studies at the Alūksne Children’s Music School in 1967, specialising in piano. After graduating from Year 8, he entered the Jāzeps Mediņš Secondary School of Music, in Jānis Lindenbergs’ choral conducting class. He received his higher education at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he studied with professors Imants Kokars and Ludmila Pismennaja.

From 1985-1990, he worked at the Alfrēds Kalniņš Cēsu Music Secondary School becoming its director. Since 1990, Jānis Baltiņš has been a teacher and conductor of the mixed choir at the Jāzeps Mediņš Rīga Music Secondary School, and from 1992, head of the choral conducting department. He is an associate professor at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and has been head of its choral conducting department since 2017.

He has conducted a number of choirs in different periods: the Estonian Society mixed choir Leelo, the Ogre District mixed choir Madliena, the Sigulda People’s male choir Satezele. Currently he is the conductor of the Atzele teachers’ choir of the Alūksne regional cultural centre and the Atvars (Maelstrom) mixed choir of Sigulda Devons cultural centre.

He actively performs with choirs in Latvia and abroad, having a number of significant achievements in competitions. These include: 1st prize at the 40th International Orthodox Music choralcompetition in Belostok (Poland) with the Jāzeps Mediņš Rīga Music High School mixed choir (2021); with the Sigulda Devons cultural centre mixed choir Atvars, won 1st prize at the Kaunas Cantat international choir competition (Lithuania, 2017); won 1st prize at the BaiaMare international choir competition (Romania) with the Alūksne Municipality cultural centre teachers choir Atzele (2015).