Māris Sirmais

Māris Sirmais was born on June 27, 1969 in Riga. He graduated from Emīls Dārziņš Music School, in 1992 completed a conducting course delivered by Prof. Ludmila Pismennaja at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy, and in 1996 became a Master of Conducting after completing a course taught by Prof. Imants Kokars.

In 2000, Sirmais continued his orchestral conducting studies at Graz Music and Art University, Austria, where he attended courses lectured by Martin Zieghart.

In 1990, yet before completing his studies, Sirmais founded the Youth Choir “Kamer…” at Riga Gymnasium Nr1, which he still heads as artistic director and principal conductor. Since then, the quality performances of this outstanding choir have merited honorary awards in over 60 national and international choir contests.

Between 1992 and 1997, Sirmais was the conductor of Women’s Choir “Dzintars” and since 1997 he is Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the State Academic Choir “Latvija” 1997. The choir regularly performs at large-scale concerts in Latvia and abroad, alongside with world-famous orchestras, musicians and conductors. The 2001 Lockenhaus festival, held in Austria, marked the beginning of the successful cooperation between Māris Sirmais and accomplished musician Gidon Kremer and his “Kremerata Baltica”.

Māris Sirmais has conducted and performed the works of Poulenc, Dvořák, Bruckner, Tavener, Taneyev, Kodály, Górecki, Part, Honegger, Stravinsky, Gounod, Bernstein, Maskats, Butāns and Vasks. Often, Māris Sirmais has been invited to conduct first performances of works by these authors in Latvia.

Sirmais is the Artistic Director of the Sacred Music Festival organized by the State Academic Choir “Latvija”.

Māris Sirmais is teaching conducting at the Riga Dome Choir School and is also a member of jury at several international contests. He is the Chief Conductor of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival and Latvian Youth Song Festival. Māris Sirmais has been a frequent winner of the Latvia’s Great Music Award. Under the baton of Sirmais, both choirs, “Latvija” and “Kamēr…”, have also been multiple winners of the Great Music Award.