Uģis Prauliņš
Composer
In contrast to some contemporary composers who have chosen to pursue a difficult and narrow artistic path, struggling over arcane theories and systems, Latvian composer Uģis Prauliņš has embraced virtually every style of music as a potential resource for creative exploration. Prauliņš grew up listening to the music of progressive-rock groups such as Gentle Giant and King Crimson as well as Scandinavian Heavy Metal and as a student, performed as keyboardist in his own progressive-rock group Salve and later in the folk-fusion rock band Vecas Majas.
Inspired by the surge of Latvian cultural nationalism that preceded independence from the Soviet Union on August 21, 1991, Prauliņš began delving deep into the music, rituals and traditions of Pre-Christian Latvia, all of which would profoundly influence his work. While eschewing formalism, Prauliņš never abandons the craft of composition, seamlessly melding folk song, Renaissance polyphony, the unerring sense of timing of a good Rock song and a confident theatricality, to create music that entertains and uplifts.
Uģis Prauliņš was born June 17, 1957, in Riga. Upon graduating from the Emils Darzins Music, he entered the Academy of Music in Riga where he studied conducting and pedagogy. He began his composition studies with the great Latvian composer Janis Ivanovs in 1982, continuing with Gederts Ramans from 1984–89.
Throughout his career, Prauliņš has displayed tremendous versatility, working as a sound engineer at Latvian Radio from 1981–86, where he introduced multi-track recordings of folk music, resident composer for Latvian Independent Television 1996–1997, producer for the London record company AMI International (Red Bus Recording Studios) and the film studio Cinevilla in Jumala.