Alfrēds Kalniņš
| Alfrēds Kalniņš | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
August 23, 1879 Cēsis, Russian Empire (now Latvia) |
| Died | December 23, 1951 (aged 72) Riga, Latvian SSR (now Latvia) |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Education | Saint Petersburg Conservatory |
| Known for | Music |
Alfrēds Bruno Jānis Kalniņš (23 August 1879 in Cēsis, Governorate of Livonia – 23 December 1951 in Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian composer, organist, pedagogue, music critic and conductor; the founder of national Latvian opera. Kalniņš is primarily remembered for his national opera Baņuta (1920).
Kalniņš took piano and violin lessons at an early age. He attended the school of music in Riga. He often visited the Riga theatre, where he could listen to operas and concerts. He made acquaintance with Oskars Šepskis (1850-1914), a composer and organist, who gave him private lessons.
From 1897 until 1901 he studied organ and composition at Saint Petersburg Conservatory. After a short stay in Riga, which he spent writing a series of songs, he accepted a post as an organist at the Saint Nicholas Church in Pärnu in 1903. At present Pärnu is located in Estonia, but then it belonged to the Russian Governorate of Livonia. Kalniņš also gave music lessons at the local grammar school and conducted the school choir. In Pärnu his son Jānis Kalniņš, who would become a composer too, was born in 1904.
Kalniņš stayed in Pärnu until 1911. In that year he took the post of organist at the Church of Saint Anne at Liepāja, where he also conducted the choir of the local music society. Apart from the church services he also played organ concertos and was involved in the restoration of the church organ.
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