Anita Zarāne Awarded the Latvian Choral music Award
Riga,Latvia – January 24,2026 – Anita Zarāne,a highly respected choral conductor,has been awarded the Latvian Choral Music Award for 2025. The award recognizes her notable contributions to Latvian choral music, particularly her work with choirs in the Latgale region.
Zarāne competed for the award alongside Edgars Vītols, with the final decision based on the performances and achievements of the choirs under their direction. Zarāne was supported by the mixed choir “Fēnikss” of the VEF Culture Palace,the mixed choir “Ikškile,” and the men’s choir of Krimulda tautas nama (folk house). Vītols was supported by the mixed choir “Aura” of the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technologies of the University of Latvia, the mixed choir “Aurum”, the mixed choir of the Riga State 2nd Gymnasium, the mixed choir “SkanTOS” of the Traumatology and Orthopedic Hospital, and the teaching choir of the pedagogy department of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
since 2001, Zarāne has served as the conductor of the mixed choir “Latgale” of the Culture center “Vārpa” in the Upper Daugava region, acting as its creative leader and driving force.She also conducts the mixed choir “dveiņuva” of the Daugavpils State Gymnasium, which earned a Golden Diploma at the final competition of the XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival Choir Competition. She is known for her dedication to her singers and her deep connection to Latgalian musical traditions.
The Latvian Choral Music Award was first presented in January 2024. The award, a bronze sculpture created by Oskar Mikan, recognizes excellence in various aspects of choral music. the 2024 winners included Jēkabs Ozoliņš, the choir “Kamēr…”, conductor Aigars Meri, the performance “Visi putni šaistīdīt”, the concert “Different quote. Voices x Sigma”, composer Jēkabs Bernāts, the choir “Pernigele”, Riga Dome Choir School, and the album “Lūcija Garūta. Ābele”.
The 2025 awards, presented alongside Zarāne’s recognition, honored Māra Skride, youth choir “Voices”, Jurgis Cābulis, Riga Lutheran Church and Riga Lutheran Parish Center, Ventspils concert hall “Latvija”, Gundega Šmite’s diptych “Sun Songs”, “Angele Dei” Latvian Radio Choir (conductors Kaspars Putniņš and Sigvards Kļava), the 30th anniversary concert of the Riga Cathedral Choir School (conductor Anda lipska), and Andris Veismanis’s “People in boats” (conductor Marta Ozola).
The Choral Music Award is organized by the song Festival Society in collaboration with the Latvian Conductors’ Association and SIA “Kurzemes Philharmonija,” with financial support from the municipality of Ventspils.
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