About
Kaspars Putniņš is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) since 2014 and permanent conductor of the Latvian Radio Choir since 1994.
The Latvian conductor regularly appears with the RIAS Kammerchor, NDR Radio Choir Hamburg, SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, Swedish Radio Choir, Danish National Vocal Ensemble and Choir and Netherlands Radio Choir. Future invitations will follow with NDR Chor Hamburg, Collegium Vocale Gent, Swedish Radio Choir, Tokyo Cantat and numerous projects with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Latvian Radio Choir.
Whilst Kaspars Putniņš’ work encompasses a wide range of choral repertoire from the polyphony of the Renaissance period through to romantic music, his foremost goal has always been to promote new outstanding choral music. He has forged close relationships with many Baltic and Nordic composers including Maija Einfelde, Mārtiņš Viļums, Gundega Šmite, Toivo Tulev, Lasse Thoresen,Gavin Bryars and Andris Dzenitis and has set standards with his interpretations. Putniņš has initiated several drama projects in collaboration with visual and theatre artists.
His discography includes recordings of Peteris Vasks’ Mate Saule for BIS Records, Jonathan Harvey’s The Angels for Hyperion, works by Bryars, Vasks, Esenvalds, Maskats and Silvestrov, all with the Latvian Radio Choir as well as the CD New Latvian Harvest with contemporary Latvian music with the Latvian Radio Chamber Singers. He has also recorded Rachmaninov’s The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with the Flemish Radio Choir for Glossa. BIS Records released Rachmaninov Vespers with the Netherlands Chamber Choir. His latest recording with the EPCC with works by Alfred Schnittke and Arvo Pärt for BIS Records was awarded a Gramophone Award and Diapason d’Or in 2018.