Andrejs Mūrnieks
1962
Conductor, educator, cultural historian
Born on 7 January 1962 in Rīga. Studied at Rīga Secondary School No 6, then at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian State Conservatory, in the choir-conducting class of Pauls Kvelde and Vitolds Rijnieks (1981-1986). In 2006, received a master’s degree in education from the University of Latvia, where continued doctoral studies.
Since 1986 – artistic director and conductor of the Frachori male chamber music of the Rīga City Council’s Small Guild of the Rīga Culture and Folk Arts Centre. The choir has been successful in many competitions, including 1st place in the group of male-choir group (amateurs) at the XXth All-Latvian Song Festival (1990) and 3rd place at the XXIIIrd All-Latvian Song Festival choir competition (2003), also 1st place in the Latvian Male choir competition (2005).
Has worked in several spheres – was a teacher of cultural history and music at Rīga’s French Lyceum (1986-2000), music specialist at the Department of Educational Content of Latvia’s Ministry of Education (1991-1993) and its Deputy Director (1993), head of the Humanities’ Content Section in the General Education Department of Latvia’s Ministry of Education and Science (1993-1994), a specialist in the Education Content and Examination Centre of Latvia’s Ministry of Education and Science (1994-2003).
In parallel, the versatile specialist has engaged in curriculum issues regarding ethics, history of the arts and history of religion, as well as in the development of teaching aids – author and co-author of several textbooks in the areas of music education and cultural history.
Since 2000, a lecturer in the history of religion in the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art of the University of Latvia, but from 2004 – a lecturer in cultural history and analysis at the Information Systems Management Institute.
A chief conductor at the XXVth and XXVIth All-Latvian Song and Dance Festivals and Latgale Song Festivals (2005, 2010).
