Kenins, Talivaldis (1919 - 2008)
Biography Works
Foto 1
Tālivaldis Ķeniņš was born on 22
April, 1919, in Liepāja. He died on 21 January, 2008, in
Toronto.
He began to study music with Lūcija Garūta, then, having
moved to France with his parents, he studied in Grenoble with Henri
Miller. He studied composition at the Latvian State Conservatory
with Jāzeps Vītols. After World War II, Ķeniņš once again travelled
to France and in 1945 enrolled at the Conservatoire National
Superieur de Paris, where his professors were Tony Aubin and
Olivier Messiaen. Ķeniņš graduated in 1950, winning First Prize in
composition. In 1951 Ķeniņš moved with his wife to Canada. Ķeniņš
was organist for the Latvian congregation at St. Andrew’s Church,
Toronto, and also began to give composition and polyphony classes
in the music faculty of the University of Toronto. From 1977 to
1979 he was director of the composition department. Along with his
educational work, the composer was actively involved in Canadian
musical life. In 1959, he founded the Toronto Latvian Concert
Association, and for many years he was a member of the Canadian
League of Composers and its president from 1973 to
1974.
Ķeniņš’s creative output encompasses a broad range of works –
eight symphonies, twelve concertos, three cantatas, choral works,
piano music, as well as works for various types of chamber
ensemble.
His music has received great recognition, and has been
performed at many festivals and concerts, particularly in Canada.
The composer has received the Latvian Order of Three Stars and is
an honorary professor of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of
Music, and Professor Emeritus at
the University of Toronto (receiving this title after 32 years of
work at the University).
The composer’s life and artistic work has been researched by
musicologist Ingrīda Zemzare, as well as Canadian music scholar
Paul Rapoport.
