Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

:

1947

Death

:

2017

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Peteris Plakidis was a Latvian composer, pianist, and music educator born on October 19, 1947, in Riga, Latvia. He was raised in a family of musicians, and his father was a well-known composer and conductor in Latvia. Plakidis began his musical education at the Riga Music School, where he studied piano and composition. He continued his studies at the Latvian State Conservatory, where he studied composition with Valentin Utkin and piano with Arvids Zilinskis. Plakidis' early works were influenced by the avant-garde music of the 1960s, but he later developed a more personal style that combined elements of Latvian folk music with contemporary classical music. His music is characterized by its lyricism, harmonic richness, and rhythmic complexity. Plakidis' first major work was his Symphony No. 1, which he composed in 1975. The symphony was well-received and established Plakidis as a promising young composer. He went on to compose a number of orchestral works, including his Symphony No. 2, which was premiered in 1981. In addition to his orchestral works, Plakidis also composed chamber music, vocal music, and music for solo instruments. His chamber music includes a number of works for string quartet, including his String Quartet No. 1, which was premiered in 1983. His vocal music includes a number of choral works, including his Cantata "The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars," which was premiered in 1986. Plakidis was also a prolific composer of music for solo piano. His piano music is characterized by its virtuosity and its use of Latvian folk melodies. His piano works include his Sonata No. 1, which was premiered in 1979, and his Sonata No. 2, which was premiered in 1985. In addition to his work as a composer, Plakidis was also a respected music educator. He taught composition at the Latvian State Conservatory from 1975 to 1990, and he later taught at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music. Many of his students went on to become successful composers in their own right. Plakidis' music has been performed by orchestras and ensembles around the world, and he has received numerous awards and honors for his work. In 1995, he was awarded the Latvian Great Music Award, the highest honor for a composer in Latvia. He was also awarded the Order of the Three Stars, one of Latvia's highest civilian honors, in 2007. Plakidis continued to compose music until his death on July 4, 2017, in Riga, Latvia. His legacy as a composer and educator continues to inspire musicians and audiences around the world.

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