Sauka, Ansis (1963)
Biography Works
The composer and singer (bass)
Ansis Sauka was born on April 18th, 1963 in Pļaviņas. He studied in
the piano department of the Jāzeps Mediņš College of Music
(1979–1983, Dagnija Freidenfelde-Gailīte), the vocal department of
the Latvian Academy of Music, (1987–1992, Bruno Egle, Sergejs
Martinovs, Gurijs Antipovs), and, as an elective, in the
composition department (Pauls Dambis), as well as master’s studies
in the vocal department (1993–1995, Gurijs Antipovs). He furthered
his training in the vocal arts with Brūss Ābels (1994, Germany),
and Rahele Shulova (1999, Israel).
He was a choir artist with the State Academic
Choir Latvija (1985–1987), and a
soloist with the Latvian National Opera (1995–1998). He debuted at
the Latvian National Opera in the role of Colline in G. Puccini’s
opera La Boheme, and sang bass roles in
G. Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, G. Puccini’s
operas Turandot, Tosca and others.
His most notable role was Salieri in N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s
operaMozart and Salieri, conducted by Leonīds
Vīgners. He has participated in the requiems of A. Bruckner and W.
A. Mozart, the cantatas
and Magnificat of J. S. Bach, the
J. Haydn Mass and other vocal instrumental performances. He has
also performed in the genre of chamber music, singing the vocal
chamber music work of J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart, F. Schubert, J.
Brahms and has collaborated with pianist Valdis Jancis and other
singers, creating interesting Latvian (E. Melngalis, J. Vītols, E.
Dārziņš, L. Vīgners) musical programmes. As a soloist, he has
visited Germany, France and Holland.
He has turned to teaching work: he was a piano teacher at the
6th Riga secondary school (1985–1995), he is a vocal instructor for
the Riga 1st primary school youth
choir Kamēr... (as of 1994) and the
State Academic Choir Latvija (as of
1998).
The centre of his creative work is vocal music. His choir
music has been performed by many choirs in Latvia,
including Dzintars, Kamēr..., the State
Academic Choir Latvija, as well as the
vocal group Putni. His music has been
performed in Finland, Iceland, Germany, France, Spain, the United
States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.
He is a member of the Riga Latvian Society, and an honourable
member of the Samshoblo Georgian Society.