Altmanis, Alvils (1950)
Biography Works
The composer, musician, and
teacher Alvils Altmanis was born on July 1st, 1950 in the Sidrabene
village in the region of Jelgava. He studied the clarinet at the
Jelgava Children’s Music School and at the Jelgava College of Music
with Jūlijs Grūtups. He studied at the Latvian State Conservatory
in the clarinet class of
Eduards Mednis and Ģirts Pāže (1986–1990) and Romualds Kalsons’
composition class (1991–1995).
As of 1986, Alvils Altmanis is an artist of the Latvian
National Symphony Orchestra, playing the clarinet and bass
clarinet. As of 1999, he is an associate professor in the music
department at the Riga Pedagogical and Education managerial school.
He has given solo concerts in Riga and other cities in Latvia, as a
soloist he has performed together with the Latvian National
Symphony Orchestra, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, and the
orchestras of the Ventspils and Jelgava Colleges of Music. He has
played in the wind orchestra Riga, the Jazz Orchestra of Latvian
Radio, and the Jelgava big band Gamma. He has participated in jazz
music competitions and festivals. At the festival Liepājas dzintars
in 1981, he received the award of best instrumentalist. He has
recorded many works for clarinet and bass clarinet at Latvian
Radio.
While still a student of composition, Alvils Altmanis
achieved 1st place at the international composition competition in
Enschede, Holland. He is also an award winner at many Latvian
competitions. Concerts of his works have taken place in Riga and
other cities – Ventspils, Daugavpils, Jelgava. Alvils Altmanis is
one of few Latvian composers who have capabilities in both academic
genres and jazz music, since he also plays the saxophone. That is
why at one time he can freely play, compose, arrange, and improvise
in many different music fields and different
arrangements.
As of 1994, Alvils Altmanis is a member of the Latvian
Composers’ Union.