Latvian Voices


We are a professional a cappella group from Latvia, the land that sings. Our musical journey began in 2009, and for the first 11 years, we performed as a female a cappella group. In 2020 the wonderful bass Jānis Strazdiņš joined the group, turning us into a mixed a cappella ensemble. The music we perform brings together our cultural heritage — Latvian folksongs — and the world-famous Latvian choral sound, which we respectfully mix together with the influence of contemporary a cappella and world music. We all like to compose and arrange music for our voices, but the group’s leader Laura Jēkabsone has written most of our repertoire. Since 2009, we have performed in more than 35 countries worldwide with many programs, both acoustic and amplified. We have released nine studio albums.
Sounds of Latvian Nature, our exceptional music album, is an earbook which won the Annual Latvian Recording award in 2014. Besides concerts, we love to share our experience in a cappella workshops, which is why we founded our own annual festival, the Latvian Voices A Cappella Festival in Valmiera.

Achievements
​
• vokal.total.2011 Graz, Austria (Ward Swingle Award and Audience Favorite Award)
• A cappella 2012 Leipzig, Germany (prizewinners)
• World Choir Games Cincinnati 2012 USA (Champions)
• 44th Tolosa Choral Contest 2012 Basque Country, Spain (2nd place in folk music and 3rd place in polyphonic music)
• Zelta Mikrofons 2014 Latvia (best vocal and choral music album for the earbook Sounds of Latvian Nature)
• Tampereen Sävel Tampere Vocal Music Festival, Finland (2nd place)

International collaborations
The King’s Singers, The Swingles (UK), Viva Voce and Rolf Zuckowski (Germany), Katarina Henryson (Sweden), Morten Vinther (Denmark), Andrew Kesler (Canada), Estonian Voices (Estonia) and many more.
​Collaborations in Latvia
Ēriks Ešenvalds, Rihards Zaļupe, Laima Jansone, Normunds Šnē, DaGamba, Dainis Tenis, Kaspars Zemītis, Renārs Kaupers, Intars Busulis, Xylem Trio, DJ Rudd and many more

Albums
Waving World Wide (2010); 7th Heaven (2010); Tā Kā Taka (2011); Sounds of Latvian Nature (2014); Zeit der Wunder (2014); Pāri robežām (2015); Mazie skumjie ziemas svētki (2016); Sounds of Latvian Nature 2nd edition (2017); Sudrabs (2018)
Singles and EPs
Ziema (2017); In Time of Silver Rain (2018); Silent Night (2018); EP Live from Riga (2018); Melanholiskais valsis (2019); Cauri vasarām (2020); Latvietes mīts (2020); Vaivari vai nevari (2021); Buramdziesmiņa (2021)

All Sessions by Latvian Voices

  • Day 1 - Friday

    May 17th

  • 19:30  - 22:30
    Come and join us for the official opening concert for AAVF 2024!
    Concerts
    Where
    Ridehuset

  • Day 2 - Saturday

    May 18th

  • 16:15  - 18:00
    Latvia's official slogan is "the land that sings", and it is essentially thanks to three milestones: folksongs, the song festival and the "power of song" as a nonviolent resilience gaining independence. Latvian folksongs – or dainas – are the poetic expression of Latvian daily life over the centuries, encapsulated into succinct melodic phrases or song-poems. They not only form part of the cultural heritage of Latvia but are also classed as symbols of Latvian identity. For Latvian Voices, Latvian folk songs were the very first source of inspiration, and they are still an essential part of their concert programmes today, both in traditional settings and modern a cappella arrangements. Over time, the group has developed a methodology that helps to acquire the first skills in vocal improvisation based on Latvian folk songs and traditional singing techniques.
    Workshops
    Where
    Godsbanen Remisen

  • Day 3 - Sunday

    May 19th

  • 19:30  - 22:30
    Esperanto for 'Creation' Where do we come from? And where are we going? "The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble for us..." - Charles Darwin. In creation stories, we find various versions of answers, but they all suggest greater forces have shaped our existence, often associated with light as a symbol of creation. "Aarhus Vocal Festival 2024" explores the theme of Creation, focusing on the creative power in music. The concert KREADO features renowned artists, showcasing a musical journey from the Big Bang to modern challenges and hopes for the future. Conceptualized by Astrid Vang-Pedersen, with lighting by Mikael Sylvest and visuals by Michala Clemmensen. Get your ticket in the Ticket Info!
    Concerts
    Where
    Symfonisk sal




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Latvian Voices