UE composers from the Baltic States

Winner of the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2021), Alisson Kruusmaa (born 1992) has emerged as one of the most exciting and commissioned young Estonian composers of today. Currently living in Tallinn, Kruusmaa is focusing on large scale orchestral works and stage music. During the season 2023/2024, she is in residency at the Dutch National Opera and Ballet in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

Kruusmaa's music is best described through ethereal, fragile and spacious soundscapes featuring a delicate and sparse orchestration. Her work has been commissioned in Europe, Asia and the United States. Among many others, she has worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Orkest de Ereprijs, Phion, Pelargos Quartet, Le Cameriste Ambrosiane and Rookh Quartet. In recent years, Kruusmaa has participated in several festivals, including the Gaudeamus Muziekweek and Andriessen Festival in the Netherlands, the international cello festival Cello Fest in Finland, Mise-En Festival and Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra Festival in the United States.

Throughout the years, Kruusmaa’s music has received several recognitions. In 2013, she was awarded Erkki-Sven Tüür Young Composer’s Scholarship. In 2018, her piece Rain (2018) for mezzo-soprano and orchestra won the Best Composition Prize at the 24th Young Composers Meeting in the Netherlands. She has been a featured composer twice at the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra Composition Competition in Los Angeles (2018 and 2021). In February 2022, her string quartet Three Miniatures (2016) was performed by the Eclipse Quartet at the University of California. She is the winner of the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2021). In 2023, Kruusmaa received the fellowship given out by maestro Tõnu Kaljuste. 

Kruusmaa studied composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and at the Conservatorio di Musica di Giuseppe Verdi di Milano. At this moment, she is concentrating on her doctoral studies focusing on composing music for ballet. 

Anna Veismane is Latvian composer and she currently works at Latvian Radio 3 - Klasika as a producer of sound recordings and regularly organizes concerts - live broadcasts at the Latvian Radio. She was an artistic director of the Latvian Composers’ Union festival “The Latvian New Music Days”. Anna is a member of the Latvian Composer’s Union’s board and a chair-person of ISCM Latvia section.

Recently Anna Veismane’s musical performance “The Yellow Sidewalk” has received The Latvian Grand Music Award 2023, the highest prize awarded by the Latvian state in the field of music. The performance was created together with actress Guna Zariņa, flutist Maija Zandberga, bassoonist Jānis Semjonovs and pianist Rihards Plešanovs.

Anna Veismane studied in E.Darzins Music School. The first teachers of composition were Pēteris Vasks and Imants Zemzaris. Afterwards she studied composition at the J.Vitols Latvian Academy of Music with Romualds Kalsons and Juris Karlsons, graduating with a master’s degree. She has participated in master classes with composers Miklós Maros, David Lang, John Woolrich, Klas Torstensson, Tapio Tuomela, Yannis Kyriakides and Jonathan Harvey. Anna’s music widely has been played in Latvia, Baltic states, also in Germany, Romania, Italy, Ireland, Finland (Hetta Music Event, Time of Music), South Korea (Pan Music Festival) and USA.

Anna Veismane collaborated with violinists Baiba Skride, Elīna Bukša, Paula Šūmane, cellist Gunta Ābele, flutists Ilona Meija, Dita Krenberga, pianists Lauma Skride, Agnese Egliņa, Rūdolfs Vanks, famous latvian organist Iveta Apkalna, organist Maria Magdalena Kaczor, guitarist Bogdan Michailescu, violist Edmundo Ramirez, accordionists Timo Kinnunen, William Schimmel, saxophonist Aigars Raumanis, kokle player Līga Griķe, singers Evija Martinsone and Ieva Parša. Her music has been performed by Latvian National Symphony orchestra, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Concertante, Riga Saxophone Quartet, vocal group Putni, string quartet ConTempo, trio Metamorfoze, ensemble Altera Veritas,and The Concorde Contemporary Music Ensemble.

ILONA BREGE was born on the 20th of May 1959 in Riga. She graduated the Latvian Academy of Music, studying piano with Ella Strazdina (1983, Mg.) and composition with Pauls Dambis (1986, Mg.). Ilona Brege’s music encompass many genres - symphonic music, as well as chamber opera Living Water and extensive Requiem, chamber music and vocal compositions. Among interprets of Ilona Brege's music should be named conductors Andris Nelsons, Ainars Rubikis, Andris Poga, Normunds Sne, Tovijs Lifsics, soloists Baiba Skride, Eva Bindere, Ula Ulijona, Ramon Jaffe, Michael Chulpajev, as well as orchestras: Kremerata Baltica, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, and other. In 2010, she won the Latvian Grand Music Award in category "Best new composition of the year 2009" with Violin-Concerto what was premiered on January 17, 2009, by soloist Baiba Skride and Sinfonietta Riga.

Ilona Brege is a former Latvian Philharmonic soloist - pianist (1983–1992), playing concerts in Baltic countries, Germany, Canada, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. Premiered a lot compositions by Latvian contemporary composers. At the same time were prepared concerts with music of German-Baltic composers, concert cycle "Sounds from the Times of Riga German Theater" and started festivals of historical music in Riga Musse-Fest where authentic programs played in Riga in 19th century by Franz Liszt, Clara Schumann, singer Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient were restored and performed.

Since 1992 Ilona Brege has worked as a researcher in the Latvian Science Academy in the Literature, Folklore and Art department and defended her Doctor of Art dissertation Rīgas Pilsētas teātris 1782–1863 (Riga City Theater 1782–1863). Research into the history of Riga's musical life culminated in two books, the first of which Teātris senajā Rīgā (Theatre in Old Riga – Historical Facts, German Culture, and an Overview of Two Centuries) was published in 1997. Regarding the theme of the time of German theatre in Riga, she has made presentations at conferences not just in Latvia, but also in Germany (Cologne 1992, Chemnitz 1995, Greifswald 1995, Oldenburg 1997), Finland (Helsinki 1994), Poland (Gdansk 1997) and elsewhere. 

Ilona Brege was the general manager of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (1997–2006, lead conductors Terje Mikkelsen, Olari Elts, Gints Glinka), and the initiator and manager of the international composers’ competition Sinfonia Baltica. In the years 2006 - 2020, she was the director of the Orchestra RIGA of Riga City Council (lead conductors Andris Poga, Martins Ozolins, Valdis Butans) and manager of the Spring Festival WINDSTREAM in Riga. Currently she is an expert of the Music Council of the State Culture Capital Foundation in Latvia.