BALTIC HERITAGE NETWORK Newsletter no. 4 (29) 2019 issn: 228-3390 Latvian Musicians in Canada Lithuanians in South America Lithuanian Minister of Culture Visits the US The History of Lithuanian-Canadian Community, Inc. International Conference “Religious Communities in the Age of Migration” in Kaunas Australian Lithuanian Community Archives News MY TARTU - Collection Campaign to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Tartu College VEMU Celebrates the Year of Estonian Language 75th Anniversary of the Great Escape comemorated at VEMU University of Tartu Rector VisitsToronto Estonian Music Week and Latitude44 in Toronto Editor-in-Chief: Piret Noorhani Editor: Kristina Lupp Designer: Kristina Lupp The Baltic Heritage Newsletter is distributed quarterly, on-line. The next deadline for submissions is 15 February 2020. Please send all related enquiries and submissions to Piret Noorhani: [email protected] The Non-Profit Association Baltic Heritage Network was founded in Tartu on January 11, 2008. NPA BaltHerNet was established to foster cooperation between national and private archives, museums, libraries, and institutions of research, public associations and organizations collecting and studying the cultural heritage of the Baltic diaspora. It aims to facilitate the preservation 10 years of empowering young researchers and research of the historically valuable cultural property of the Baltic diaspora, This season marks the ten year anniversary of the Baltic Heritage Network as well as to ensure accessibility of these young diaspora researchers’ seminars. materials to the public. With dozens of events held in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and the NPA BaltHerNet is also committed to United States, Baltic Heritage Network has helped create an international the organising of conferences, seminars and workshops, and to developing forum for emerging scholars to present their work. The event series has also and administrating the electronic been crucial for developing mutually beneficial working relationships between information website Baltic Heritage global Baltic heritage professionals. Network, a multilingual electronic gateway for information on the cultural The current season started out with anthropological participatory observation heritage of the Baltic diaspora. in the former Estonian village Simititsa in Russia. BaltHerNet researchers www.balther.net joined descendants of the villagers at the cemetery where they helped clean ISSN 2228-3390 2019 NO . 4 (29) Baltic heritage network 2 his invaluable assistant. He taught at the Maritime Academy of Music, which later became the Maritime Conservatory for Performing Arts. In 1949, Štrombergs organized the Halifax Symphonette to accompany performances of the Nova Scotia Opera Association. This ensemble evolved to become the Halifax Symphony in 1957, and after merging with the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra became the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. This brings us to another Latvian musician, composer Jānis Kalniņš (1904-2000). Kalniņš immigrated to Canada in 1948, working initially as the organist and choirmaster of St. Paul’s United Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick. the plots and took part in the a remarkable number of world- erecting of a monument in honour renowned musicians. Here I will In 1951, Kalniņš took up two new of the ancestors buried in foreign look at those who arrived in Canada appointments. The first was as soil. They also visited the Estonian after WWII leaving their un-erasable Professor of Music at Fredericton’s St. John’s church in St. Petersburg musical footsteps and at others who Teachers’ College. By the time he and experienced walking a segment followed in those footsteps. retired from that position 20 years of the route which the largest mass later, Professor Kalniņš had taught Halifax was for many the place where more than 700 students. demonstration in support Estonian Latvians took their first footsteps autonomy took in 1917. The seminar in Canada and where they began The second appointment was as also touched upon other Finno-Ugric their professional musical careers conductor of the Fredericton Civic groups in the region. on this side of the ocean. Opera Orchestra. In 1959 he joined the Saint The follow-up event took place in singer Mariss Vētra (1901-1965) and John’s Symphony Orchestra and was Lahemaa, where one of the people family arrived in Halifax in January an important part in the evolution of born in Simititsa opened up her 1947 and started teaching at the this group into the New Brunswick home and photo collection for Maritime Academy of Music where Symphony Orchestra in 1961. At further exploration. On December he organized an opera course. At that time Kalniņš was appointed its 11th, new research findings from a that time there was no opera theatre, Principal Conductor. wide range of topics from Latvian nor even an orchestra. With his On his 80th birthday, Dr. Kalniņš Entrepreneurship in the U.S. and students, Vētra started giving concert was honoured with a gala concert Canada, to the history of Estonians in performances of opera fragments. organized by Toronto’s Latvian Kazakhstan will be explored in Riga, On the 200th anniversary of Halifax community in recognition of his atthe Latvian University during a in 1949, with the assistance of other contribution to the development of pan-Baltic seminar. musicians, Vētra and his students music in Canada. Another concert The Baltic Heritage Network young performed Mozart’s opera Don in his honour took place in Chicago diaspora researcher’s seminars Giovanni, which was the very first one week later, and a third tribute are financed by the Compatriot’s opera performance in this city. concert took place in New York Program, run by the Estonian Within the next three years they the following month. As part of Ministry of Education and Research. performed another five operas. Thus, the year’s celebrations, President with the assistance of the Nova Scotia Ronald Reagan sent Dr. Kalniņš a Maarja Merivoo-Parro Opera Association, Opera Nova congratulatory letter on October Latvian Musicians In Canada Scotia was born. A few years later, 19, 1984. In 1986, Mount Allison Mariss Vētra moved to Toronto where University created the Dr Jānis Music is the foundation of Latvian he established his vocal studio and Kalniņš Award in his honour. culture, beginning with folk songs continued to teach singers. Composer Tālivaldis Ķeniņš (1919- and continuing with symphonies and 2008) came to Canada rather late opera and other forms of musical Pianist Alfreds Štrombergs (1922- – on November 18, 1981, from expression. Latvia, proportionally 2006) arrived in Canada in 1948, Paris, France; this same day, Latvia’s to its population, has produced a year after Mariss Vētra, and was Day of Independence, became his 2019 NO . 4 (29) Baltic heritage network 3 first day as organist of St. Andrew’s Resounding Summer) is a lasting training programs, continuing at Latvian Lutheran Congregation. In heritage of Latvian musicianship in the Conservatory of Music in The Ķeniņš’ own words: “We arrived in exile. Hague, Netherlands, the University of the morning of 18th November and Imants Ramiņš (1943-), the well- Western Ontario, and the University right after breakfast was taken to St. known Canadian composer, was of Toronto. Andrew’s Church. [...] This was a very born in Latvia. After spending some Equally at home conducting important event - the very first time years in refugee camps in Germany symphonic and choral repertoire, a Latvian communal service was to after WWII, he came to Canada Ivars Tauriņš is the founding director commemorate Latvia’s independence with his family in 1948. His life of of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, in a newly acquired Latvian Church music started first in Toronto as a now in its 39th season and was also ... and the first time its newly arrived student at the Royal Conservatory a violinist with Tafelmusik orchestra. organist sat at the huge organ”.* of Music and at the University of In 2002, Taurins paid homage to In September of 1952, he joined the Toronto, continued at the Academie his Latvian roots by organizing a Faculty of Music at the University of Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and Christmas concert, Baltic Noel, Toronto where he taught for the next at the University of British Columbia. featuring a number of Baltic choirs thirty-two years. Among his students Upon returning to Canada, he including the Latvian choir Dzirksts were two other noted Latvian settled in British Columbia and (“Spark”, conducted by Vizma musicians: composer Imants Ramiņš there continued his musical career. Maksiņa) and Latvian/Canadian and pianist Arturs Ozoliņš. He founded the Prince George mezzo-soprano Vilma Indra Vitols. Ķeniņš was also active in Latvian Symphony, the Youth Symphony of His annual performances of The society as a composer and as an the Okanagan, NOVA Children’s Messiah, led by Tauriņš dressed as organizer of various musical events Choir and the AURA Chamber Herr Handel himself, are a hot ticket in Canada including the Latvian Song Choir. on the Toronto Christmas concert scene. and Dance Festivals in Canada. This Ramiņš has composed for many year, his son Juris Ķeniņš – cellist, musical genres: solo voice, chamber Gunta Dreifelds played an composer, teacher – followed in his music, choral music, symphonies, important role in the development father’s footsteps as the Chair of the concertos, and operas. His music has of the revolutionary technology that Board of the XV Latvian Song and been performed on six continents and fundamentally changed how we Dance Festival in Canada. in such famous places as Carnegie view and enjoy one of the richest Latvian Musical life in Canada is Hall and the Forbidden City. In 2017, musical expressions – opera. In unimaginable without conductor the University of Toronto honoured 1983, Dreifelds was part of the and composer, Arvīds Purvs (1926- him with a concert by student Canadian Opera Company team ). After his arrival in Toronto from musicians, choirs and orchestras, who which included General Director England in 1956, he took over the performed some of his most beloved Lotfi Mansouri and Director of leadership of St.