Latvian Radio Choir

Specializing in modern choral works from the Baltic states and Russia, the Latvian Radio Choir has earned acclaim far beyond eastern Europe, reaching audiences across the West through an extensive and diverse catalog issued on multiple major international labels.

Serving as the resident ensemble for Latvia's national radio broadcaster, the group was established in 1940 by conductor Teodors Kalnins at the moment Latvia confronted absorption into the Soviet Union. It endured World War II under Kalnins' direction until his death in 1962. Edgars Racevskis then guided the choir from 1963 to 1986, followed by Juris Klavins from 1987 until 1992. From that point onward the ensemble has operated under shared leadership, with artistic director Sigvards Klava and conductor Kaspars Putnins jointly holding the baton. A core roster of 25 singers forms its foundation, though the choir augments its forces for early-music programs and swells to several dozen voices when presenting large-scale choral-orchestral scores. Roughly 60 concerts take place each year, both domestically and on international stages. Its repertoire stretches from the Renaissance through the present day, placing particular weight on Baltic composers such as Latvia's Peteris Vasks, alongside staple Russian pieces by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov and the music of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. The ensemble describes itself as "like a creative laboratory; it regularly encourages composers to write music that extends beyond the boundaries of classical vocals."

Its recorded output, already substantial by the first years of Latvian independence, features releases on leading Western European imprints including Hyperion, BIS, and ECM. Following a 2007 account of Vasks' Pater Noster, the choir has worked primarily with the Ondine label, which issued its recording of Tchaikovsky's All-Night Vigil in 2020. More than 40 discs now exist, with activity markedly increasing through the 2010s.