Mixed choir "Zemgale"

Motto
Jelgava's best choir with a name and traditions - for more than half a century! We are diverse, creative and ready to take on new challenges! Therefore - sing to your land, sing with your land!

History
The mixed choir "Zemgale" was founded in 1961 as a teachers' choir of Jelgava city and district. The folk choir "Zemgale" is led by great personalities. In the very beginning, Imants Kokars stood at the control panel of the choir. He was also the initiator of the formation of the choir and led the choir from 1961 to 1967. After I. Kokars, the leadership of the choir was continued by Irēna Jermaka, but for the longest time - almost 20 years - the choir was led by conductor Viesturs Liepiņš, an exceptionally sensitive musician, interpreter and pedagogue, who took over "Zemgali" in the early 1970s, when it had already acquired the name "Tautas choir". Later, Jelena Vavilova - Oglezneva (artistic director of the choir until autumn 1998) took over the leadership of the choir. Choirmasters Jānis Schwartzbach and Gunta Drozdova worked in the same team with J. Vavilova. Conductors Zita Kurševa, Ilva Krauze, Dita Mūrniece, Laura Leontjeva have also worked with "Zemgali" at different times. Since 2002, the young conductor Aigars Meri, rich in creative ideas, has taken over the management of the mixed choir, staging new and interesting repertoire, successfully participating in several international choir competitions. The choir starts the 2009 season with the new conductor Zani Stafeckas and choirmaster Inga Leyland, but from 2012, the choir, in tandem with Z. Stafeckas, is led by conductor Guntis Pavilons.

Repertoire
Kora ”Zemgale” repertuārā ir latviešu un citu tautu komponistu dziesmas, tautas dziesmas, klasiķu darbi, garīgā mūzika. Koris ir iestudējis lielformāta kompozīcijas: Marģera Zariņa ”Kora svītu”, ”Kuršu ziņģes un danči” u.c. A. Meri vadībā iestudēti sarežģīti lielo formu skaņdarbi: K. Orfa scēniskā kantāte ”Carmina Burana”, Š. Guno ”Messe Solennelle”, A. Vivaldi ”Gloria”, K. Sen – Sansa ”Ziemassvētku oratorija”, A. Ramireza ”Misa Criolla”, M. Haidna ”Rekviēms do minorā” u.c. Koris piedalījies arī vairāku latviešu autoru lielformāta darbu atskaņojumos – I. Kalniņa oratorijās ”Rīta cēliens”, ”Dzejnieks un nāra”, Z. Liepiņa rokoperā ”Lāčplēsis”, J. Lūsēna ”Mistērijā par sapni un mīlestību”. 2006. gadā koris kopā ar kameransambli ”Altera Veritas”, ”Rīgas Kamermūziķu” stīgu kvartetu un citiem mūziķiem piedalījās A. Dzenīša skaņdarba ”Pavasara rīts” pirmatskaņojumā. 2007. gadā pirmo reizi tika iestudēta jelgavnieces L. Celmas scēniskā oratorija ”Paldies, Saule!”, bet 2012. gadā koris piedalījās L. Celmas oratorijas “Jersikas derība” un R. Tigula oratorijas “Dod, dieviņi” iestudējumā. Savukārt 2013. gadā koris “Zemgale” iestudē Baltijas valstu komponistu lielas formas skaņdarbus, atskaņojot tos pašu organizētā starptautiskā koncertā “Balta mūzika baltā pilsētā”, bet sadarbībā ar kori “Sidrabe” un komponistu Jāni Lūsēnu piedalās koncertciklā “Sauli meklējot”.

Success
Mixed choir "Zemgale" has also competed in international choir competitions and festivals with notable success: in 2005 in Budapest (Hungary), competing in two categories, the choir won two "silver" diplomas; In 2006, the choir received a "bronze" diploma in Pärnu (Estonia); In 2007, he obtained a 2nd degree diploma in Minsk (Belarus); In 2008, he received a 2nd degree diploma in Bialystok/Hainowka (Poland). In Belarus and Poland, the choir took part in sacred music competitions, playing compositions by G. Peleč, A. Pert, A. Šnitke, P. Chesnakov and A. Arkhangelski. At the beginning of 2009, the choir "Zemgale" took part in the VIII international sacred music festival "Sudraba Zvani" in Daugavpils, obtaining a 1st degree diploma. In April 2009, at the International Choral Music Festival "Tallinn 2009" in Estonia, they won 2nd place and a cash prize in the folk music category.

Forward!
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