Jānis Kalniņš was a Latvian and later Canadian composer and conductor.

Latvia

Jānis Kalniņš was the son of composer Alfrēds Kalniņš

Alfrēds Kalniņš

Alfrēds Bruno Jānis Kalniņš 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 .- Course of life :Kalniņš took piano and violin lessons at an early age...

. He was a student first of Jāzeps Vītols

Jazeps Vitols

-Biography:Vītols, the son of a schoolteacher, began his studies in composition in 1880 at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. After graduating in 1886, he remained at the Conservatory to teach composition and reached the rank of Professor in 1901. His pupils there...

 at the Latvian Academy of Music

Latvian Academy of Music

The Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music , formerly Riga Conservatory, is the major higher learning music institution in Latvia. The junior institute is the Emils Darzins Music School.-History:...

, then with Erich Kleiber

Erich Kleiber

Erich Kleiber was an Austrian conductor.- Biography :Born in Vienna, Kleiber studied in Prague...

, Hermann Abendroth

Hermann Abendroth

Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth was a German conductor.-Early life:Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, Germany, belonging to a family which had already produced other artistic figures of divers disciplines...

 and Leo Blech

Leo Blech

Leo Blech was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Schauspielhaus Leo...

. His two major operas were Hamlets (1936) and Uguni (1937). He was chief conductor of the Latvian National Opera

Latvian National Opera

The Latvian National Opera , Riga, is the national opera of Latvia. The opera company includes the Latvian National Ballet , LNO Chorus, and LNO Orchestra.-History:...

 1933-1944.

Canada

Kalniņš emigrated to Canada in 1948, taking a position as an organist in Fredericton, where he worked until retirement in 1991. He was awarded the Order of Vasa

Order of Vasa

The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...

 by the King of Sweden and the Order of the Three Stars

Order of the Three Stars

Order of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...

 by the State of Latvia, and received a New Brunswick Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1984, among others. Kalnins died in Fredericton in 2000.

Selected recordings

• New Brunswick Rhapsody Symphony Orchestra of the National Latvian Opera. Ave Sol BAF 9611, 1996.
• "Potter's Field" - choral symphony on Biblical texts in Latvian. Janis Sporgis (Tenor) with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
  Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
  The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra is Latvia's main symphony orchestra. It was founded in 1926 as the Latvian Radio Centre Orchestra by the conductor, Arvīds Pārups. Its current Chief Conductor and Artistic Director is Karel Mark Chichon...
  
  , conductor Andrejs Jansons (also Alfrēds Kalniņš "The Sea" cantata Latvian National Opera
  Latvian National Opera
  The Latvian National Opera , Riga, is the national opera of Latvia. The opera company includes the Latvian National Ballet , LNO Chorus, and LNO Orchestra.-History:...
  
  Orchestra) Latvian Concert 2004