Sigvards Kļava
1962
Conductor, educator
Born 29 November 1962 in Rīga. Took his first musical steps in the piano class at the Jāzepa Mediņš Music school, then in the choir class of the Emīls Dārziņš Special Music secondary school.
Studied at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music under Imants Kokars (1982-1987), furthered his studies at Stuttgart’s Bach Academy, Oregon Bach Festival master classes and the St Petersburg Conservatory. In 2003, he received a master’s degree from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and has been a lecturer in the Academy’s Choir Conducting Department since 2000.
When still a student, worked as the conductor of the Jūrmala volunteer firefighters’ association choir, the Ausma (Dawn) female choir, the Absolventi (Alumni) male choir, later led the Jumprava mixed choir (1986-1992), the University of Latvia female choir Minjona (1988-1992) and the Cēsis District Teachers’ choir Beverīna (1990-1992).
Since 1987, he has been associated with the Latvian Radio Choir: initially as a conductor, since 1992 – as its artistic director. As a result of Kļava’s targeted endeavours, the Latvian Radio Choir has become one of the world’s strongest professional choirs, performing at the world’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls. Under his guidance, the choir has developed creative cooperation with the most notable contemporary Latvian and foreign composers, leading to many successful premieres and recordings.
Actively participates in international juries and as a guest conductor performs with the world’s most prestigious choirs such as the Netherlands Radio Choir, the Cappella Amsterdam Dutch chamber orchestra, the RIAS chamber choir, the MDR Leipzig choir and many others.
Kļava has savoured Song Festival as a singer, manager, conductor and organiser: “I probably advocate the view that the Song Festival need not be conserved in an archaic form and need not be maintained as a conservative exhibit that only recycles proven treasures. The tradition must be preserved, allowing it to breathe and live with the times. By allowing more breaks with tradition, debates and artistic innovations, the festival bouquet will become more colourful, but the tradition, by filtering out the unnecessary, will be stronger.” (Grauzdiņa, Ilma, Izredzētie (The Chosen Few), 2008, p 206)
A chief conductor at the XXth-XXVIIth All-Latvian Song and Dance Festivals, the Latgale Song Festival, the Rīgai-800 festival, and Rīga city choirs, also actively participated in the organisation of festivals.
Multiple winner of the Grand Music Award, Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia award (2000) and Bearer, Order of the Three Stars (2011).
