INNOVATIVE. CREATIVE. SURPRISING. These are only some of the words that can be used when describing the international award-winning Latvian Youth choir BALSIS and their leading artistic director Ints Teterovskis . Established in 1987, by conductors Kaspars Putnins and Māris Kupčs, the choir didn’t require a long time to become known not only in Latvia but also outside of its borders. After receiving Grand Prix at the BBC’s Choral Recordings Competition “Let the People Sing” in 1991, it was clear – there’s a new, competitive choir joining the fierce competition, and still remains as one of the best amateur choirs in the world.

So far BALSIS has released 18 Cd’s, including such albums like Red | Sarkans and one of the choir’s albums Christmas Joy in Latvia (2008), created in collaboration with the New York Latvian Concert Choir and the New Chamber Orchestra of Riga has even been declared as one of the twenty-five greatest Christmas albums of all time by the Rolling Stone magazine. Over the years, the choir has collaborated not only with other composers and choirs but even with world-renowned musicians such as The King’s Singers and Voces8.

BALSIS has gained recognition not only in eastern Europe but well beyond Europe, in Russia, USA, Canada and Australia. In 2015 the choir also made its mark in Asia by participating in the IFCM Asia Pacific World Choral EXPO 2015 in Macau, China, where the choir represented the traditions of European choral music.

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