Evija Skuke

Evija Skuke (born September 15, 1992) is a Latvian musician.
==Early life and education==
Evija Skuke was born in Riga, Latvia. She started her musical studies at an early age attending the Riga Cathedral Choir School. She sang in the youth choir for 9 years, which shaped her musical upbringing. She later finished a music theory program at Emils Darzins Music School, also in Riga. The first composition teachers she studied with were Pauls Dambis and Peteris Vasks. Evija later went on to achieve a Bachelor's degree and a master's in composition from the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music. While in the academy, She studied with Selga Mence and Janis Petraskevics.
==Career ==
Skuke started composing at the age of 10, and her pieces are known for their unpredictable flow and lively vibrance. Skuke and her pieces have been nominated, recognized, and awarded in many compositional competitions, including the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, the Swedbank Annual Award for Young Musicians, and 10th Città di Udine international composition competition. Her music has been performed around the world, including at Vienna’s Arnold Schönberg Center, and venues in the Netherlands, Italy, Russia, and Japan.
 
From 2013 to 2019, Evija worked as a music teacher at Salaspils School of Music and Arts. In 2015, Evija started working at the Emils Darzins Music School in Riga, Latvia, teaching composition, solfege, basic music theory, polyphony (counterpoint) and instrumentation. She primarily composes chamber ensembles, choral music, symphonic opuses. Along with her solo works, she has also created multiple successful collaborative works with performance artist Anda Lāce, including Atindēšana (Detoxification), which was nominated for the 2017 Purvītis Prize in Latvia.
==Musical Works==
• “about Bela” (2022) for violin and piano, dedicated to Béla Bartók, commissioned by the festival “Arēna”
• “SIEVIETĪBA” (2022) song cycle for coloratura soprano (voice) and piano with lyrics from “Google” search results, text files found on the internet, “FaceBook” polls, Interviews and the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” by Dick Scanlan and Jeanine Tesori, commissioned by the festival “SKAŅU MEŽS”
• “Practicing my boundaries” (2022) for bass paetzold recorder
• “viņu” (2022) for SATB choir, Project choir of Riga commision
• “Solastalgia” (2021) for chromelodeon, adjusted viola and mezzo soprano (voice), commission by the ensemble “Scordatura” as part of the festival “Arēna”
• “The Siren Song” (2021) with poetry by Margaret Atwood, for women's vocal ensemble double bass and trombone, commission by the vocal ensemble “Putni”
• “Trīs mīlestības dziesmas” (2021) with poetry by Santa Skujiņaa, Gundega Repše and Velga Krile, a song cycle for mezzo soprano (voice) and piano
• “Hildegardes Sapņi” (2021) for women's vocal ensemble, organ and miscellaneous percussion, commision by the vocal ensemble “Putni”
• “Neirozes” (2020) for piano quintet, written for the JVLMA “Labākais kameransamblis” competition
• “MĒS” (2020) for men's choir, Riga stock exchange house men's choir commision
• “SILTI” (2020) for solo double bass, collaboration with Ieva Epnere and Gunārs Upatnieks
• “FUNfares” (2020) for symphonic orchestra, PIKC NMV EDMS commission for the school's 75th anniversary concert
• “FFF” (2020) for SSAATTBB choir and SATB soloists, Latvian Radio choir commision
• “Spoža zvaigzne notecēja” (2019) for piano, arrangement of a Latvian folk song
• “Cik naksniņas?” (2019) for piano, impressions on the theme of a Latgalian folk song
• “Š.” (2019) for clarinet, cello and piano
• “Aiz” (2019) for flute, violin, viola, cello, double bass, vibraphone and harpsichord as part of the LNSO summer masterclass series
• “Mazās serenādes. Kukaiņu meditācijas” (2019) for solo Bb clarinet and string ensemble, new chamber musicians of Saulkrasti commision
• “Lauskis” (2019) for solo Viola
• “...you send shivers down my spine” (2019) for symphonic orchestra, “Sinfonietta Rīga” commission as part of the “deciBels” festival
• “Hipertimēzijas rotaļa” (2018) cycle of miniatures for voices and electronics, created for an interactive art installation with the same name by Anda Lāce
• “Mākoņaitiņa” (2018) soprano (voice) solo with piano accompaniment with poetry by Māra Cielēna, Peteris Vasks fund commision
• “A Dream Within a Dream” (2018) for a vocal ensemble with poetry by Edgar Alan Po
• “Tavs Vārds” (2017) for wind instrument orchestra, baritone (voice) solo with poetry from Jānis Ziemeļnieks' “O Rīga”
• “Smiltis” (2017) for flute, clarinet, bassoon and piano
• 5 songs with poems by Jānis Baltvilks from his book of poems “Putnu gads” (2017) for voice and piano
• “Satin manas Debesis savā Būrī un guli” (2017) for prepared piano and flute
• “Garām (padejo man)” (2017) for percussion quintet
• “Gods” (2016) for SATB choir, VAK Latvija commision
• “Secret burrow, wight of a moth” (2016) for string quartet and electronics
• “Viļņi” (2015) for quadruple SATB choir, VAK Latvija commision
• “Locust. The beauty of destruction.” (2015) for string quartet
• “Aptumsums. Saule.” (2015) for soprano (voice), cello and a recording, collaboration with Ieva Epnere
• “Veļu Māte” (2015) for SATB choir and SATB soloists, Chamber choir of Cologne (Germany) commision
• “Crescendo” (2015) as a pat of the piano duet called “Crescendo ma Diminuendo”, in collaboration with Armands Aleksandravičs
• “Pārsāts” (2015; 2017) for wind instrument quintet, written and named after a series of paintings by Anda Lāce with the same name
• “Barista” (2015) chamber opera – happening. Collaboration with Armands Aleksandravičs and Dāvis Lācis
• “Ainulindalë” (2015) for symphonic orchestra and choir
• “Kartupeļu opera” (2014) 2. – 4. movement, words by Inese Zandere
• “________Tramvajs” (2014) for string orchestra, performed by “Sinfonia Concertante”
• “Naraudavu” (2014) arrangement of a Latgalian folk song for mixed choir and women soloists • “Ķekars” (2013) performance with electronics and household materials with the artist Anda Lāce
• “Vēja vokalīze” (2013) for mixed choir, youth choir “Sōla” commision
• “Zvīdzi, zvīdzi” (2013) arrangement of a Latgalian folk song for mixed choir, Youth choir “Kamēr...” commision
• “Trans(s)” (2013) for string quartet
• “Mēness vokalīze” (2012) for mixed choir, Youth choir “Kamēr...” commision
• “Vokālista Dies Irae jeb Ekstremāla Fūga Vienai Balsij” (2012) For a soprano (voice) with a large vocal range
• “Zemes vokalīze” (2008; 2012) for women’s vocal ensemble, performed by the vocal ensemble “Putni”
Category:1992 births
Category:People from Riga
Category:Latvian people
Category:Musicians