Choir
Youth choir “Kamēr…” is a choir with a personality — one of Latvia’s most renowned and influential choral groups. A laureate of numerous international competitions and a creator of conceptually rich and striking musical programs, Kamēr… holds a distinct and irreplaceable place in Latvia’s cultural landscape. Since 2022, the choir’s artistic director and principal conductor has been Jurģis Cābulis.
The choir was founded in 1990 by Māris Sirmais, then a young conductor at the very beginning of his career. Today, Sirmais is one of the leading figures in Latvian music — longtime artistic director of the State Choir Latvija, multiple winner of the Grand Music Award, and chief conductor of the Latvian Song Festival. He was principal conductor of Kamēr… until 2012. Sirmais was succeeded in this position by Jānis Liepiņš (2012–2018) and Aivis Greters (2018–2022) – both have been Grand Music Award laureates for work with the choir.
The choir’s current second conductor is Patriks Stepe, while among its previous second conductors are Ainārs Rubiķis, Jānis Liepiņš, and Aivis Greters.
For many years, the choir’s vocal training was done by Aina Bajāre and Ansis Sauka. Today, Jolanta Strikaite has taken on the role of vocal coach, continuing the tradition of excellence.
Over time, Kamēr… has developed a distinctive vocal style that, while consistent, is uniquely shaped by each artistic director. Although classified as an amateur choir, its work ethic and extremely high standards in vocal performance grant it a level of professionalism that rivals any professional ensemble. The ellipsis in the choir’s name (Kamēr… means “While…” in Latvian) symbolizes the idea: “While we are young, anything is possible.”
The choir’s logo was designed by the visionary artist Ilmārs Blumbergs (1943–2016), who also created the visual identity for many of the choir’s musical programs.
Composers who have written original works for Kamēr… include luminaries such as John Luther Adams, Līga Celma, Leonid Desyatnikov, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Gabriel Jackson, Giya Kancheli, Raimonds Pauls, Sven-David Sandström, Dobrinka Tabakova, John Tavener, Raimonds Tiguls, and Pēteris Vasks, among others.
Some of Kamēr…’s most notable programs include:
- World Sun Songs (2008)
- Madrigals of Love (2010)
- The Covenant of Jersika (2010)
- Moon Songs (2012)
- Songs of the Holy Wind (2013)
- Amber Songs (2014)
- The concert-exhibition The Servant. Blumbergs. Kamēr… (2018)
- New Reflections of the Waves (2022)
- A New Light (2023)
- Elemental (2024)
Kamēr… has earned numerous prestigious awards at international competitions, including:
- Victory at the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition (Germany, 1999)
- Three European Grand Prix for Choral Singing
- Three championship titles and gold medals at the World Choir Games in Xiamen (China)
- Seven consecutive wins at the choir battles of the Latvian Song Festival
The choir has received the Latvian Grand Music Award three times — for the achivements in the international competitions and for the promotion of Latvian music abroad, for the program Latvia – Land of the Sun, and for creative, bold, and innovative artistic work during the COVID-19 crisis with the musical-performative adventure Kamēr… in the River (2020). In 2019, the choir also received a Commendation from the President of Latvia.
The discography of Kamēr… includes over 20 albums, such as:
Britten, Tavener, Vasks (2003) with Gidon Kremer and Marta Sudraba
Styx. The Myrrh Bearer (2006) with violist Maxim Rysanov
At the Organ at Night (2007) with Intars Busulis
O Salutaris (2011) – awarded Best Academic Music Album
Moon Songs (2012) – awarded Best Choir and Vocal Ensemble Album
Amber Songs (2014)
The Servant. Blumbergs. Kamēr… (2019) – awarded Best Classical or Choral Music Album
Artistic team
Jurģis Cābulis has been the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Youth Choir Kamēr… since 2022. Under his leadership, the choir has developed and performed the programs New Reflections of the Waves (2022), A New Light (2023), and Elemental (2024). He also led the choir’s 35th anniversary project, which included a performance of Haydn’s oratorio The Creation, a gala concert, and the release of a vinyl record featuring performance of the former artistic directors of Kamēr… alongside the current ensemble.
Since 2023, he has been a Chief Conductor of the Latvian Song Festival and serves as the Chief Conductor for the Cēsis region. He heads the Choral Conducting Department at the Riga Cathedral Choir School and is the Artistic Director of its Mixed Choir.
Cābulis received the Latvian Grand Music Award in 2021 for the concert program Amao Omi / The Senseless War. He won 3rd prize at the 5th Jāzeps Vītols International Choral Conducting Competition (2014) and was the winner of the 3rd Juozas Naujalis International Conducting Competition in Vilnius (2017). In 2021, he was a semifinalist at the prestigious Eric Ericson Award.
He conducted the Riga Chamber Choir Ave Sol from 2013 to 2024 and was the artistic lead for the 30th anniversary concert of the Riga Cathedral Choir School in 2024. Under his baton, the album Aeternum, featuring music by Jēkabs Jančevskis, was recorded and released by the renowned British label Hyperion Records in 2020.
He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in choral conducting from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where his professors were Andris Veismanis and Kaspars Ādamsons.
Patriks Stepe has been a conductor with Youth Choir Kamēr… since 2018. He heads the Choral Conducting Department at the Alfrēds Kalniņš Cēsis Music Secondary School, where he also conducts the school’s mixed choir. In addition, he leads the Cēsis State Gymnasium’s mixed and girls’ choirs.
A diploma recipient at the 2nd International Imants Kokars Young Conductors Competition, Stepe earned second prize, the Choir Prize, and the Audience Choice Award at the Fosco Corti International Choir Conducting Competition in Italy in 2024. He is also a music expert on Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika” in the program Orpheus’ Ear.
In 2021, he conducted the film and stage production of Alfrēds Kalniņš’s opera Baņuta, produced by Sansusī and Story Hub. In 2023, he conducted the site-specific performance series All the Birds Sing Beautifully, produced by Dirty Deal Teatro and Story Hub.
He is a graduate of the Riga Cathedral Choir School, where he studied choral conducting with Mārtiņš Klišāns and voice with Valda Tračuma. In 2024, he received a master’s degree in choral conducting from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, under Andris Veismanis.
Vocal coaches
Jolanta Strikaite has been the vocal coach of Youth Choir Kamēr… since 2016. A freelance vocalist, her repertoire spans Baroque, Romantic, and contemporary music, as well as operettas, musicals, and voice work for Walt Disney’s Latvian-language film adaptations.
She has performed several leading roles at the Latvian Operetta Theatre, including Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Stasi in Silva, and Anna Meierovica in the production Three Stars. Zigfrīds. In the musical Wild Rose, she portrayed Ilga.
She has sung solo parts in large-scale choral works with ensembles such as State Choir Latvia, Latvian Radio Choir, Ave Sol, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Riga. Her solo repertoire includes Orff’s Carmina Burana, Tavener’s Ikon of Eros, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St. Mark and St. John Passions, Bernstein’s Mass, and Imants Kalniņš’s oratorio The Poet and the Mermaid.
At the Latvian National Opera, she has sung Adele (Die Fledermaus), Barbarina (The Marriage of Figaro), and Pamina (The Little Magic Flute). She has appeared at the Dominante festival in roles such as Leonora in Hindemith’s The Long Christmas Dinner and Maria in Respighi’s Marie Egiziaca.
Composers such as Kārlis Lācis, Jēkabs Nīmanis, and Ansis Sauka have written music specifically for her voice. She regularly performs in children’s productions organized by Latvijas Koncerti and has premiered several works for voice, organ (Kristīne Adamaita), and saxophone (Artis Sīmanis), some of which were recorded on the album Voice of the Plain (Līdzenuma balss).
She holds a master’s degree from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music where her teachers were Anita Garanča and Kristīne Gailīte.
Ansis Sauka has been a vocal coach for Youth Choir Kamēr… since 1994 and for State Choir Latvia since 1998. He has taught at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music since 2006, currently serving as an associate professor and Head of the Voice Department.
He previously performed with State Choir Latvia (1985–1987) and was a soloist at the Latvian National Opera (1995–1998). He has performed chamber music with pianist Valdis Jancis.
As a composer, Sauka focuses primarily on vocal music. His choral works have been performed by leading Latvian ensembles, including Dzintars, Kamēr…, Latvija, and Putni. He frequently sets the poetry of Imants Ziedonis, including “Kukainīt, re kā saule spīd”, featured in the New Riga Theatre production Ziedonis and the Universe.
In 2013, the youth choir Kamēr…, under Jānis Liepiņš, recorded his and Ziedonis’s choral works on the album As Elegant as a Broad Bean. He has also composed vocal music to texts by Fricis Bārda, Leonīds Breikšs, Inga Gaile, Omar Khayyam, and Austra Skujiņa. His solo songs have been performed by Antra Bigača, Sonora Vaice, and Miervaldis Jenčs. His collaboration with pianist Valdis Jancis was especially close.
Ansis Sauka is a member of the Latvian Society and an honorary member of the Georgian Society “Samšoblo.”
He studied piano at the Jāzeps Mediņš Music School, voice with Gurijs Antipovs, and composition with Pauls Dambis at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
