Pāvuls Jurjāns
1866–1948
Singer, educator, conductor, composer
Singer, composer, conductor, educator, music critic and collector of folk songs. The first Latvian professional vocal teacher, laid the foundations for and created Latvian opera.
Born on 22 February 1866 at the Meņģeli homestead in Ērgļi Parish. Obtained his musical education from his brothers Andrejs and Juris at the Imperial Russian Music Society’s Kharkiv School of Music, graduating in the French horn class. Played the French horn in Kharkiv’s opera and symphony orchestras, was a member of the Jurjāns’ Brothers French-horn Quartet (1890-1892). Studied further at the Vocal Department of the St Petersburg Conservatory (1892-1898) and graduated as the first academically educated Latvian singer and choir bandmaster.
After his studies, moved to Rīga and worked as a tutor, teaching singing and music theory, also acting as a singing teacher at several high schools. In parallel, conducted the Teacher’s Society choir (1900-1904), and several choir and symphony orchestra concerts.
In 1902, was appointed as the head of the opera class at the Imperial Russian Music Society’s Rīga branch School of Music (1902-1915). Continuing his path as a vocal educator, he founded and successfully led the Latvian Opera, the first national opera troupe (1912-1915). Participated in the founding of the Conservatory of Latvia and headed its singing class, in parallel working on the development of music-study and choral-singing methodologies.
Pāvuls Jurjāns compositions’ cover a wide range: 12 symphonic works, five vocal instrumental works, three for chamber ensembles, 11 solo songs, two folk-song arrangements for solo voice, 14 original songs for mixed choir and 15 original songs for male choirs. In his compositions, Jurjāns develops diatonicism and textural techniques characteristic of folk music, such as vocal drones, contrasting groups of voices, different types of variation, preserving the melodiousness and natural flow of folk songs.
He was a chief conductor of the Vth All-Latvian Song Festival and Honorary chief conductor of the VIth All-Latvian Song Festival, a jury member for the Vth Song Festival choir competition.
Commander, Order of the Three Stars (1926) and Latvian SSR Order of Honour (1945).
