Jānis Puriņš
Jānis Puriņš was born in 1960 in Latvia. He graduated from the trumpet class of the Latvian Music Academy in 1984. From 1984 till 1986 he continued his studies in the symphony orchestra conducting class of Prof. Vasily Sinaisky.
Since 1977 Jānis Puriņš is working with wind bands. Jānis Puriņš was assistant conductor (1977-1990) and Artistic Director (1990-1992) at the Student Band (SPO) of Riga Technical University. Under his lead the orchestra took part in festivals and achieved first places in competitions in Rostock, Geseke, Augsburg (Germany), Neerpelt (Belgium) and Saint Pol Sur Meer (France).
Since 1995 Jānis Puriņš is Associated Professor at Jazeps Vitols Latvia Academy of Music since and is leading the wind orchestra conducting class.
From 1991 till July 2007 Jānis Puriņš was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the full time professional Wind Orchestra Riga. Under his lead the orchestra visited Rostock (1993), Valensia (WASBE conference 1993), Wien (2000) Vilnius (1998) and Moscow (2002).
Since 1996 Jānis Puriņš is one of the founders and Artistic Director of the Latvia Youth Symphonic Band. The orchestra took part in many festivals and won prizes in many competitions: Rostock (1997), Seinajoki (Finland, 2000), Kerkrade (The Netherlands, 2001, 2005, 2013, 2017), Schladming (Austria, 2006, 2014), Interlaken (Switzerland, 2007), Zürich (1999, 2012), Viena (2015) and Hungary (2016).
Jānis Puriņš has conducted pieces by classical composers (W.A.Mozart, J.S.Bach), modern wind music composers (J.de Meij, P.Spark, A.Reed, J.van der Roost), Soviet and Russian composers (M.Musorgsky, A.Borodin, A.Ladov), Latvian composers (J.Karlsons, R.Kalsons, M.Bass, G.Ordelovskis) and lot of other composers.
Jānis Puriņš has conducted student bands at Northern Iowa, Brigham Young, Nebraska Omaha and Christopher Newport Universities (USA, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), as well as bands in Sweden, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia (2012, November 2013) and Slovenia (August 2012). In April 2012 he participated in the East Coast Band Conference (USA) with a clinic about the Wind Band History of Latvia and an Open Rehearsal with Latvian wind band music. In February 2014 he participated in the Nordic Band Conference with a presentation of Latvian Band Music with participation of the Estonian Wind Band Conductors Band. In May 2016 he participated in the Round Table Conference in Utrecht (The Netherlands) and in Visby (Sweden)
Jānis Puriņš was a member of the jury at the Norwegian Wind Band Competition (2004), at the Estonian Wind Band Competition (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014), at the Youth Music Festival in Neerpelt (Belgium, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and at the Lituanian Wind Band Championship (2009).
Jānis Puriņš is the founder of the University of Latvia Wind Band (September, 2008) and Artistic Director of the International Trumpet’s Days 2006 and 2008 organized by the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
Jānis Puriņš conducted bands collaborating with well know soloists James Gourley (tuba, Great Britain), Reijer Dorrestein (trumpet, The Netherlands), Wolfgang Bauer (trumpet, Germany), Steve Leisring and Leonard Candelaria (trumpet, USA), Igor Lešnik (percussion, Croatia), Magnus Andresen (trombone, Danmark), Pasi Pirinen (trumpet, Finland) and many others.
Jānis Puriņš was conductor of the joint wind bands at the Latvia Song and Dance festivals in 1990, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 and at the Song festival of Nordic and Baltic countries in Riga.
Jānis Puriņš is one from organizers of the Baltic Youth Wind Band, and performed programs in in Riga (November 2008) and in in Vilnius (Lithuania, July 2009).
Jānis Puriņš is one of the founders of the annual (since 2009) Forum of the Baltic States Wind Orchestra Conductors and Ensemble Leaders.
Jānis Puriņš is a student in the Doctor’s education program at the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy.
Jānis Kaģis
Jānis Kaģis was born in 1987 in Latvia. He holds a Bachelor degree of tuba from Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. In 2013 he graduated with a Master degree from the wind band conducting class at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
Since 2011 Jānis Kaģis plays in the professional wind band of the National Armed Forces. Since 2015 Jānis Kaģis is the second conductor of the University of Latvia Wind Band. Jānis Kaģis conducted bands collaborating with well known soloists Inga Šļubovska Kancēviča, Ingus Pētersons and Nauris Indzeris.