Draft:Guntars Pranis



Guntars Pranis is an experienced performer of Early music, conductor, internationally recognised musicologist and researcher of Early music.

He is the founder and artistic director of Schola Cantorum Riga ­– internationally renowned group of early music, touring regularly throughout Europe and widely known with its recordings and experimental music projects which includes Medieval, Renaissance and contemporary repertoires. Concerts in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and elsewhere. Schola Cantorum Riga was nominated for Latvian Grand Music Award 2019. He wrote his dissertation about the sacred music tradition of medieval Riga in the context of various local music practices and its connection to Traditional music singing patterns. He has continued his professional development in early music studies under the guidance of distinguished experts, especially prof. Franz Karl Prassl (Austria, Italy). As part of his research, Pranis has also spent several months in Benedictine monasteries. He is recognised not only as the leading medieval music expert in Latvia but is also in demand internationally as a lecturer and teacher of masterclasses.

Another recent music activity of Guntars Pranis is the experimental SABIA Ensemble – Medieval/Folk/Ambience project. Four musicians have met at that point where Early Music, Folk Music a slight touch of Ambience creates magnificent soundscape binding together Medieval chant with Latvian Folk Music. SABIA is four musicians with strong background in both - Early&Folk: Liene Skrebinska (voice/kokle), Ieva Nimane (flutes/kokle), Guntars Pranis (voice/hurdy-gurdy), Martins Milevskis (percussion).

Guntars Pranis regularly leads and takes part in a variety of music projects as a conductor, singer and hurdy-gurdy musician. Especially in the time he was the music director of Riga Cathedral (2001–2017) he has led many big cantata performances with soloists, big ecumenical choir and orchestra. He participates in the Latvian Song Festival movement and was the artistic director of the I am... sacred music concert at the 2019 General Latvian Song and Dance Festival with soloists, symphony orchestra and joint choir of 1200 singers.

Guntars Pranis is a Professor and Leading researcher at the Latvian Academy of Music and has been the rector of the academy from 2017-2024.

Guntars Pranis' quote
"I think that's where the beauty of music lies, that the more you perform or listen to it, the more this music tells you something and takes you deeper. The profound idea of repetition as such... There is also the trivial story of saying "I love you". It's something so existentially important that people need to say it on a regular basis, it's not something that we say informatively once and then it's fine."

Recordings with ensemble Schola Cantorum Riga
Vox Clara, Late Medieval Chant from the North (LMIC/Skani, 2021)

Record – collaborative samplings project with YAMAHA INTERNATIONAL (2017)

Domus mea, Medieval Chant of Riga Cathedral (SCR Edition, 2016)

The Praise of Folly by Erasmus of Rotterdam; with flutist Ieva Nimane and actor Juris Strenga (LNB, 2015)

Carmina, Medieval chant and sounds of world music (Moonlight Sound Design, 2010)

Illumina, Medieval chant and improvisations by saxophone and percussions, (Upe Records, 2006)

Orthodox Chant of various traditions (SCR Edition, 2006)

Riga Mass, Latvian Music Award (Upe Records, 2002)

Sacred Music of Rihards Dubra, (Musica Baltica, 2001)

De Angelis, Medieval chant with keyboard fantasies (Upe Records, 2001)

Gregorian Chant and Improvisation, for organ, saxophone and voces (Centaur Records/USA, 1999)

Concerts and recordings with hurdy gurdy
Album '''The songs of Georg Elger. 17th century Latvian sacred music''' (Musica Baltica, 2022)

Concert with ensemble Art-i-shock in Studio 1 of Latvian Radio, Live broadcast of Radio Klasika (2021)

Concert ''Burkhard Waldis. Psalms'' in Early Music festival in Bauska castle (2019).

Music recorded for the International Exhibition of National library of Latvia "1514.Book.2014" (2017)

Most important publications
Pranis, Guntars. 2022. About the music in Georg Elger's song book, the first Latvian catholic song book (1621). Riga: Musica Baltica.

Pranis, Guntars. 2018. Chants of the Riga Missal in the Context of

Medieval European Gregorian Tradition. Monography. Riga: Neputns.

Pranis, Guntars. 2017. "Das Missale Rigense und seine Rezeption in der frühen Reformation". Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften. Heidelberg: Winter-Verlag.

Praanis, Guntars. 2015. "15. gadsimta Rīgas misāle un jaunatklātais mūzikas materiāls". In Letonica Nr. 29. Riga: Latvijas Universitātes Literatūras, folkloras un mākslas institūts.

Pranis, Guntars. 2013. "Musical marginalia of Missale Rigense". In Mūzikas akadēmijas raksti X. Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music. Rīga: Musica Baltica.