Daira Cilne
1944
Conductor, educator, clergywoman
Daira Cilne (née Andersone) was born on 23 June 1944 in Rīga. At the end of the Second World War, escaped with her family to Germany as refugees, migrating to the US in 1949. Studied music and philology at the University of California, gaining a bachelor’s degree in 1965. Later, furthered her education at California State University in Northridge.
Daira Cilne (née Andersone) was born on 23 June 1944 in Rīga. At the end of the Second World War, escaped with her family to Germany as refugees, migrating to the US in 1949. Studied music and philology at the University of California, gaining a bachelor’s degree in 1965. Later, furthered her education at California State University in Northridge.
When still a student, was assistant to Los Angeles mixed choir conductor Andrejs Kurmiņš, taking over the choir in 1971 and developing it for the subsequent 30 years. During this time, also worked with the Los Angeles female choir (1969-1970). The choirs have performed at local Latvian events, church services, actively participated in West Coast Song Festivals, as well as undertaking concert tours to Toronto, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago and Rīga.
Wrote herself into the pages of Latvian exile history with the young vocal ensemble Solaris, founded in 1977, which participated in several West Coast Song Festivals and went on tours around the world’s Latvian centres. Under Cilne’s leadership, the ensemble earned particularly high praise for its interpretations of works by exiled Latvian composers.
Utilised her pedagogical talent as a lecturer and head of musical activities at 2 x 2 and 3 x 3 Latvian summer camps in the USA, Venezuela and Latvia, and as course director of the West Coast Summer School (1983-1988). In parallel with her educational duties, has worked as an organist, concertmaster, leader of kokle and vocal ensembles. Later, the musician turned to theology, obtaining a Master’s degree at the Claremont-School of Theology (2000) and, defending her dissertation on the subject The Consciousness of God in Latvian Folk Songs, obtaining a doctorate in Pastoral Theology (2002).
“Where there are Latvians, there are also folk songs. Whether it’s a complicated choir song by Pauls Dambis, or a kindergarten dancing game, or Rainis’ Pūt, vējiņi (Blow Wind, Blow), or congratulations at a confirmation, folk songs are an integral part of our spiritual life.” (Cilne, D. Jaunā Gaita, No. 155, 1985)
A chief conductor at the XXth All-Latvian Song Festival, Youth Song Festival in Montreal (1985), chief conductor and artistic director of the VIth-XIVth West-Coast Song Festivals, chief conductor at the VIIth, Xth and XIth US All-Latvian Song Festival, as well as the chief conductor of many massed choir concerts.
