(b. 23 January 1978, Rīga).
Latvian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, and electroacoustic works that have been performed in Europe and elsewhere.
Mr. Dzenītis studied composition with Pēteris Vasks at the Emīla Dārziņa mūzikas vidusskola – Emīls Dārziņš Music School in Rīga from 1993–96, with Kurt Schwertsik at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna in 1996–97 and with Pēteris Plakidis at the Jāzepa Vītola Latvijas Mūzikas akadēmija – Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Rīga from 1997–99. He then studied composition with Osvaldas Balakauskas at the Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija – Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius from 1999–2001 and had postgraduate studies with him there from 2001–03.
His music has been performed in Austria, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the UK, including at the festival Warszawska Jesień – Warsaw Autumn (1997), the festival Gaida in Vilnius (1998, 2002) and the festival MaerzMusik in Berlin (2003).
He is also active in other positions. He has served as a programme moderator for Latvijas Radio 3 – Klasika in Rīga since 1997 and as editor of the magazine Mūzikas Saule – Sun of Music in Rīga since 2003. He also served on the board of directors of the festival for contemporary music Arēna in Rīga in 2002 and has served as director of the biannual International Workshop for Young Composers in Dundaga since 2002.
He lectured on music from Latvia at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 2001 and on contemporary music at the Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija – Latvian Academy of Culture in Rīga in 2002.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
Without Words (incidental music, play by Pēteris Pētersons), 1996
Felix and Felicity (incidental music, play by Pēteris Pētersons), 1998
Electra (incidental music, play by Euripides), 2001
The Book of Your Silence (opera in 7 acts, libretto by Oscar Milosz), 2002–04 (one section may be performed separately as a concert work: Solitude)
ORCHESTRAL:
Concerto, cello, small orchestra (percussion, strings), 1995–96
Stanza II, 'Super flumina Babylonis' (text from Latin liturgy), 3 altos/countertenors, string orchestra, fixed media (2 tracks), 2001
Stanza III, 'innuendo', large orchestra, 2000–02
Alba, flute, 2 kokle (zithers from Latvia), accordion, string orchestra, 2003
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Deserted (sonata), violin, piano, 1994
Beside..., bass-baritone accordion, 1995
The Spirit of the Harlequin, clarinet, 1995
Capriccio e contraverso, 4 clarinets, 1995–96
Do you hear me...?, cello, 1996
Lacrimæ (in memoriam Emīls Dārziņš), violin, viola, cello, piano, 1996
Senza Barriera, 2 pianos, percussion, 1996–97
Mother Earth, viola, 1997
Stanza I, '31. 12. 1999', piano, string quartet, 1999
Der Todeskeim. Der Lebenskeim, flute, 2 kokle, 2000
Pierrot, alto saxophone, 2001
Bang for Four, 4 percussion, 2002
Narrow paths. Dreamy steps, guitar, 2003
Promises and Shapes, oboe, ensemble (flute [+ alto flute], clarinet [+ bass clarinet], French horn, violin, viola, cello, percussion), 2004
CHORAL:
Adoramus Te, mixed chorus, 1996, revised 2003
Blood Song (texts from Latin motets), descant voice, soprano, baritone, 60 or more mixed voices, 2 trumpets, organ, 2 percussion, string orchestra, 1996–98
Ave Maria, mixed chorus, 1998
Circumstances. Awakening. Keep thoughtfully quiet (text by Wisława Szymborska), mixed chorus, fixed media (4 tracks), live electronics, 1999
Four Madrigals by e. e. cummings (text by E. E. Cummings), 8 mixed voices, 2000
Sun (texts from folklore from Latvia, Lithuania), mixed chorus, 2001
VOCAL:
Verbum et Verbum (vocalise), mezzo-soprano, 2000
Solitude, mezzo-soprano, live electronics, 2003 (section of The Book of Your Silence; may be performed separately as a concert work)
PIANO:
Music for a Dead Bird, 1995
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Gutta, fixed media (2 tracks), 2001
Passia, fixed media (5 tracks), 2002
Landscape on a Dark Red, fixed media (2 tracks), 2002