Pēteris Plakidis

Pēteris Plakidis (born March 4, 1947 in Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer and pianist.

Early life

Plakidis was educated at the Emīls Dārziņš College of Music before studying as a undergraduate in the Composition Department at the Jāzeps Vītols State Conservatory (now the Latvian Academy of Music). He graduated in 1970, having been taught by composers Jānis Ivanovs and Valentīns Utkins. Plakidis undertook further postgraduate study at the conservatory, which he completed in 1975.

Career

From 1969-74, before he had graduated, Plakidis held the post of Musical Director for the Latvian National Theatre.Since 1975 he has been a tutor in the Composition Department at the Latvian Academy of Music, and in 1991 he became Professor of Composition. Plakidis has received much recognition as a composer. In 1969 he received a diploma at the All-Union Young Composers' Competition, for his composition "Music for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani" and in 1982 was awarded the title of Honoured Artist. He was the recipient of the Jānis Ivanovs Prize in 1987 and in 1990 the was awarded the title of People's Artist. In 1996 Plakidis was won the Latvian Great Music Award for "Variations for Orchestra". [cite web|url=http://www.music.lv/balva/en/laureati.asp#1996|title=Great Music Award: Laureates - 1996|publisher=Music in Latvia|accessdate=2008-09-09]

Music

Plakidis' music is often part of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra's reportoire, [cite web|url=http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=481|title=Music in Latvia: Orchestral Voices United in Harmony|work=Online Latvia|publisher=The Latvian Institute|accessdate=2008-09-09] and he was commissioned to write orchestral works for their 60th, 65th and 70th anniversaries. His works have also been performed by the New York University Chamber Music Society who performed "Pastorale". "The New York Times" described the piano part as "couched in brash, clustered harmonies" and the piece as "fascinating".cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7DF143AF934A15751C0A966958260|title=Review/Music; Merkin Program of Works by Baltic Composers|last=Kozinn|first=Allan|date=1990-02-27|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2008-09-09] "Distant Song" has featured as a piano piece for ABRSM exams. [cite web|url=http://www.abrsmpublishing.com/publications/2256|title=Spectrum 3|work=ABRSM Publishing|publisher=ABRSM|accessdate=2008-09-09]

On 26 July 2007, at the Lithuanian embassy in London, record label Toccata Classics released an album of the composers works entitled "Peteris Plakidis: Music for String Orchestra" on which the composer was pianist. [cite web|url=http://www.toccataclassics.com/artistcds.php?ID=15|title=CDs on Toccata Classics by PLAKIDIS, Peteris|publisher=Toccata Classics|accessdate=2008-09-09] Reviews include a description of "Music for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani" as a "Bartók inspired (...) vehicle for nationalist and separatist feeling". [cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/music/2007/07/folk-melodies-baltic-composers|title=The sound of resistance|last=Jones|first=Rick|date=2007-07-05|work=New Statesman|accessdate=2008-09-09]

Personal life

Plakidis is married to opera and concert singer Maija Krīgena.

References

;General
*cite web|url=http://www.musicabaltica.com/parmums.php?pageId=komp_id&piezimes=1&id=294|title=Pēteris Plakidis|publisher=Musica Baltica|accessdate=2008-09-09
*cite web|url=http://www.toccataclassics.com/artistdetail.php?ID=15|title=Plakidis, Peteris|publisher=Toccata Classics|last=East|first=Leslie|accessdate=2008-09-09;Specific

External links

* [http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/plakidis.htm Peteris Plakidis]