BIO
Raivis Misjuns is a composer of contemporary classical music and a double bass player from Latvia. His works are deeply inspired by inward human emotions, metaphor, and poetry, exploring various states of tenderness and melancholy. He primarily composes instrumental, choral, and orchestral music, as well as pieces for musical theatre and opera. In 2024, he was selected as the musical Artist in Residence at the Arvo Pärt Centre. Since joining the Latvian Composers' Union in 2021, he has collaborated with various musicians and ensembles throughout Europe. Recent highlights include the premiere of his choral work "The Dark Night of the Soul" by the Latvian State Choir at the 25th International Festival of Sacred Music in Riga, and his double bass concerto "Dreamer's Dreams" performed with the Sinfonia Concertante Riga. He also wrote opera arias and music for the theatre performance "VELNI (DEVILS)" in collaboration with the Berlin theatre collective Hauen und Stechen and the Latvian music festival SANSUSĪ.
In 2023 and 2021 Raivis' compositions were selected for commissions by the Grachtenfestival, Gaudeaumus and the November Music Call for Scores in the Netherlands. His works have been presented at festivals such as the New Music Festival Arēna, Latvian New Music Days and Baltic Music Days, commissioned by the Pēteris Vasks Foundation, with live broadcasts on Latvian Radio 3 Klasika. Raivis studied with Wim Henderickx for his Master's degree at the Amsterdam Conservatory, and in 2017 spent time in Yerevan studying with Armenian composer Artur Avanesov, who has been a major influence on his musical journey.
As a performer, Raivis focuses on a wide range of music, from early Baroque in historically informed settings to contemporary music. Since 2017 he has joined the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, touring concert halls such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Philharmonic. He currently works regularly with Ensemble 1700, Anima Eterna Brugge, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
Raivis began his musical journey in Riga, Latvia, where he was born. He sang in a boys' choir during his primary and secondary school years, which fostered his passion for music. At the age of 12, he was captivated by the sound of a symphony orchestra at an oratorio concert, prompting him to apply to music school. Raivis played the French horn for six years before switching to the double bass at the age of 18. He won first prizes in national youth competitions for both instruments and developed an interest in composition under the mentorship of renowned composer Pēteris Vasks.
Education
2019 - 2021
2014 - 2018
Master’s Degree in music composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam
BMus (Honours) at the Royal Academy of Music in London
2016
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris