JĀNIS PETRAŠKEVIČS

Composer of classical contemporary music. Born in 1978 in Rīga, Latvia. Lives and works in Rīga.

Initially studied violin at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School in Rīga from 1985–94, but later studied composition there with Ģederts Ramans from 1994–96. He studied composition with Pēteris Plakidis at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Rīga from 1996–2003. Later had postgraduate studies in composition with Ole Lützow-Holm at University of Gothenburg from 2004–07.

Defended his doctoral thesis at the Latvian Academy of Music in 2014, obtaining PhD. The thesis was developed under the guidance of Prof. Jeļena Ļebedeva; its title is Multidimensionality in avant-garde music of the second half of 20th century (composition techniques of Boulez, Carter, Ferneyhough, Ligeti and Stockhausen). 

His music has been performed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK, including once each at the Centre Pompidou, the Biennale di Venezia, Wigmore Hall, the ISCM World Music Days, the concert series Musica Viva in Munich, the festival Warsaw Autumn, the festival Ultraschall Berlin, the festival Archipel, Donaueschinger Musiktage, and the festival Skaņu mežs (Sound Forest). He has been featured composer at the festival AFEKT in Estonia (in 2023). He has received commissions from Ensemble Intercontemporain, Nieuw Ensemble, Ensemble Modern, Wigmore Hall and SWR among others.

His works have been performed by Ensemble Modern, ensemble unitedberlin, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble SurPlus, Ex Novo Ensemble, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Ictus Ensemble, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Latvian Radio Choir Group, Musikfabrik Brass Quartet, Nieuw Ensemble, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, SWR Symphonieorchester, Sinfonietta Rīga and Ukho Ensemble Kyiv among others. He has collaborated with conductors James Avery, Peter Eötvös, Luigi Gaggero, Clemens Heil, Vladimir Jurowski, Juha Kangas, Guntis Kuzma, Armando Merino, Jonathan Nott, Andris Poga, Kaspars Putniņš, Peter Rundel, Ed Spanjaard, Thord Svedlund, Normunds Šnē, Anu Tali, Lorraine Vaillancourt and Michael Wendeberg among others.

He has lectured on aspects of contemporary music at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music since 2011. He has been appointed Senior Lecturer in composition at the above institution in 2017. 

In May 2019 issue of the German magazine MusikTexte there have been published two articles on his music: Von der Zerbrechlichkeit des Suchens by Dan Albertson; Aufschwung und Gegenwind by Jānis Petraškevičs.

In spring 2020 signs with Edition Gravis (Germany).

In September 2024 issue of the Estonian magazine Teater. Muusika. Kino there has been published an extensive interview with him by Monika Mattiesen. 

2025

Scholarship for creative work (Jaunrades veicināšanas stipendija) from State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia

2023

1st prize in Prix Annelie de Man 2023 Composers Competition (Amsterdam) for "Neparalēles", duo for harpsichord and accordion

Teacher of the Year award at the Latvian Academy of Music

One of the featured composers at the contemporary music festival AFEKT (Estonia)

Nomination for Latvian Grand Music Award for new composition of the year
(for clarinet concerto Long Walks)

2021

Scholarship for creative work (Jaunrades veicināšanas stipendija) from State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia

2017

Commission by Südwestrundfunk for an orchestral work for Donaueschinger Musiktage 2018 

Participation at the Ligeti Symposium with paper Structural analysis of the first movement of György Ligeti’s Piano Concerto, The Music Centre of Helsinki

2014               

Co-commission by Ensemble Modern and Wigmore Hall (London)

Fellowship of the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Umbertide

Latvian Grand Music Award for new composition of the year
(for Darkroom – Ein Fantasiestück für Ensemble)

2011               

Commission by Ensemble Modern within the framework of the project Where from? Where to? Myths – Nation– Identities

2008               

Participation at EarLab: composition course with Luca Francesconi and Ensemble BIT 20, Stresa (Italy)

2006               

Carl Larsson Scholarship for a residency in Fontainebleau

2004               

Commission by Nieuw Ensemble

2003               

First Prize at the competition for composers announced by The Association of Baltic Academies of Music (ABAM), Hamburg       

Participation at International Masterclass for young composers  with Chaya Czernowin, Steven Kazuo Takasugi and Richard Barrett, organized by Summer Academy Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart

2001               

Selected for a commission for the Ensemble Intercontemporain by the jury of Reading Panel (Comitée de Lecture), Paris

Participation at Composition course with Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Domaine Forget, Charlevoix (Canada)

2000               

Participation at Voix Nouvelles – a programm of the Royaumont Foundation: Composition course & workshop with Brian Ferneyhough, José Evangelista, Jean-Luc Hervé

Participation at International Composition Seminar with Luca Francesconi and Fausto Romitelli, organized by Ictus Ensemble in collaboration with Avanti!, Brussels

1998               

Scholarship from the Swedish Institute for studies with Prof. Sven-David Sandström in Stockholm for a period of 9 months

Participation at Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music

1997               

Participation at International seminar Young Composers in Baltic Region, Visby, Gotland (Sweden)

1996               

Participation at 4th International Academy for New Composition, held by Boguslaw Schaeffer and Marek Choloniewski, Schwaz/Tyrol