Tālivaldis Ķeniņš

CBC Music described him as a "pioneering Canadian composer" and The Canadian Encyclopedia described him as "one of Canada's most frequently commissioned composers."

Tālivaldis Ķeniņš studied at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and Conservatoire de Paris. Training under Jāzeps Vītols, Tony Aubin and Simone Plé-Caussade is recorded. Bruce Mather is recorded as having studied under Tālivaldis Ķeniņš. The recorded working language is English. Employment is recorded with University of Toronto. Distinctions recorded are Order of the Three Stars.

• Name — Tālivaldis Ķeniņš • Born — 23 April 1919 • Birthplace — Liepāja, Latvia • Died — 21 January 2008 • Place of death — Toronto, Canada • Occupation — Composer, teacher

Born in Liepāja, Latvia, young "Tali" began playing the piano at age five and wrote his first compositions at eight. His parents held prominent positions in Latvia's cultural and political life. Ķeniņš' secondary school studies were at the Lycée Champollion in Grenoble, France, but he returned home with the outbreak of World War II. From 1940-44, he studied counterpoint and composition at the Latvian Conservatory under Jāzeps Vītols and Ādolfs Ābele in Riga. Ķeniņš made his way to France in the aftermath of the war, and studied at the Paris Conservatory under Tony Aubin and Olivier Messiaen from 1945-51. He was the recipient of the Périlhou, Gouy d'Arcy and Halphen music prizes. Upon graduating in 1950, he was awarded the Grand Prix Laureate in composition for his Cello Sonata. That same year, he received a scholarship from the UNESCO International Music Council to pursue postgraduate work.

Ķeniņš' Septet was performed in 1950 at the Darmstadt New Music Festival, conducted by Hermann Scherchen; the following year, he moved to Toronto, Canada, where he was named organist and choirmaster of the Latvian congregation of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. From 1952-84, he taught at the University of Toronto. Among his students were Tomas Dusatko, Edward Laufer, Walter Kemp, Bruce Mather, Ben McPeek, Arturs Ozoliņš, Imant Raminsh, James Rolfe, and Ronald Bruce Smith. He introduced modern European compositional approaches at a time when Anglocentric models were predominant in English-speaking Canada. Ķeniņš remained deeply committed to his Latvian heritage. He was a founding member of the Latvian Song Festival in 1953 and cofounded the Toronto Latvian Concert Association in 1959. Latvian texts also figured prominently in his choral and vocal music. In later years, Ķeniņš was hailed in his homeland. The Order of the Three Stars, Latvia's highest civilian honour, was conferred on him in 1995. He also was made an honorary professor of the Latvian Academy of Music and, in 2005, was a recipient of the Grand Music Award for lifetime achievement. A commemorative stamp of Ķeniņš was released in connection with Latvia's centenary in 2018. He was active in the Canadian League of Composers, serving as president in 1973-74, and was an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, of which he was a founding member.

• Orchestral • 8 Symphonies, including No. 1 (1959), No. 4 (1972), No. 6 Sinfonia ad Fugam (1978), No. 7 (1980), No. 8 (1986) • 12 Concertos, including Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1998), Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and Concerto for 14 Instruments • Canzona Sonata for solo viola and string orchestra (1986) • Beatae Voces Tenebrae for symphony orchestra • Chamber music • Sonata for cello and piano (1950) • Sonata [No. 1] for violin and piano (1955) • Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1979) • Sonata for viola and piano (1995) • Sonata for cello solo (1981) • Adagio and Fugue for viola, cello and organ (1985) • Elegy and Rondo for viola and piano (1979) • Fantasy-Variations on an Eskimo Lullaby for flute and viola (1967–1972) • Partita Breve for viola and piano (1971) • 2 piano quartets • Septet (1951) • Scherzo Concertante • Piano • Piano Sonata No. 1 (1961) • Sonata-Fantaisie (1981) • Piano Sonata No. 3 (1985) • Sonata for 2 pianos (1988) • Vocal • 3 cantatas • 1 oratorio