Jēkabs Jančevskis

Composer Jēkabs Jančevskis first drew notice in the late 2010s through a series of choral pieces that quickly gained listeners inside Latvia and farther afield. Born in Riga on April 18, 1992, he is the son of actress Zane Jančevska; during his childhood he took part in multiple stage productions and films. While attending the French Lyceum in Riga he also pursued lessons in conducting and composition at the Riga First Music School and studied piano, earning second prizes at the International Competition of Young Pianists in Valmiera in both 2004 and 2009. In 2008 he entered the Riga Cathedral Choir School, where he supplemented his training with private composition studies under Ēriks Ešenvalds and Pauls Dambis. After completing that program in 2012 he enrolled at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music to work with Selga Mence, later continuing there for a master’s degree under Janis Petraskevics.

He presently leads the choir Anima Mea, teaches composition at the Riga Cathedral Choir School, and serves as artistic director of the Pavuls Jurjans Music School Symphony Orchestra. Recognition arrived in 2019 when his piece When received the principal award in the Rostrum category for composers under thirty at the UNESCO International Exhibition of New Works of Young Composers held in Argentina. Ensembles that have programmed his music include the Latvian Radio Choir, the State Academic Choir Latvia, the Ave Sol Chamber Choir, and various youth choirs. Although many of his choral scores explore spiritual themes, he has also produced lighter orchestral works such as Crazy Days, a satirical portrait of holiday shopping frenzy. In 2020 Hyperion released a disc of his compositions performed by the Mixed Choir of the Riga Cathedral Choir School under Jurgis Cabulis, extending his profile beyond Latvia and the Baltic region.