Pavasars, Helmers (1903 - 1998)
Biography Works
Born in Lejasciems, Latvia,
studied at the Latvian conservatory - composition with Jazeps
Wihtols, violin with Adolfs Mecs and conducting with Janis
Medins.
Since 1954 Pavasars has been living in London, England, where
he has been active as a organist, and conductor at Latvian Song
Festivals in England and Germany.
In 1983 Pavasars was recipient of the Prize of the Latvian
National in Exile.
Helmers Pavasars has composed mainly chamber music, both
instrumental and vocal, and choral music (about 80 works in all),
with a few works also in the genres of cantata and music for organ.
His musical output, though comparatively small, has shown him to be
equally at home in all these genres. The
moderate emotional content of his music is offset by his very
sensitive mode of expression and smooth handling of form. At the LC
Pavasars studied violin performance (1921–1930), theory of
composition (1924–1928), composition (1931–1932) and conducting
(1936–1938), graduating in the first two of these disciplines. He
worked in Riga as music teacher and organist until 1931, then as
choir conductor, organist and violin teacher at music schools in
Valmiera (1931–1932) and Cēsis (1931–1940). In 1934 he became the
director of the music school in Cēsis, which in 1937 gained the
status of College of Music. In Cēsis he founded and conducted the
municipal symphony orchestra and also worked as violin teacher and
conductor at the Teachers College (1938–1940). He then lectured on
theoretical subjects at the LC until 1944 when he fled Latvia as a
refugee. In Germany he resumed lecturing at the Baltic University
in Pinneberg, working also as choir conductor and organist, mainly
in Hamburg.
From 1954 Pavasars worked as an organist in London, was
Principal Conductor at the Latvian Song Festivals in Great Britain
in 1958, 1961 and 1967, and also at the 1st Latvian Song Festival
in Europe (Hamburg, 1964). In 1990 he took part in the 20th Latvian
National Song Festival concerts in Riga as one of the composers. He
has been made an Honorary Professor by the Latvian Academy of
Music.