Imant Raminsh

Imant (Karlis) Raminsh, composer, conductor, violinist, teacher (b at Ventspils, Latvia 18 Sep 1943, naturalized Canadian 1954). Raminsh studied violin with Albert Pratz and received a music education degree from the University of Toronto. From 1966 to 1968 he studied composition, violin and conducting at the Akademie Mozarteum in Salzburg. He was the founding conductor (1971) of the Prince George Symphony, the Youth symphony of the Okanagan, AURA Chamber Choir (begun 1979), and the NOVA Children's Choir. Teaching at the Vernon Music School, Raminsh joined the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra in 1977 and became its principal violinist. Infused with elements of his Latvian song-oriented cultural heritage, his choral and vocal compositions have been sung around the world and published by Jaymar, Thompson (Warner Chapell/Alfred), Walton Music, Colla Voce, Hinshaw Music, Alliance Music, Sveriges Korforbundsforlag (Sweden), Boosey and Hawkes. In 1990 his Magnificat won the National Choral Award and four years later he won again with Veni Sancte Spiritus. In 2000 he conducted the premiere of his large choral work Recordare. Two years later a massed choir of 170 voices and orchestra performed his 9-movement, 8-language setting of the Symphony of Psalms in New York. He completed his children's opera The Nightingale in 2003.