Quaker Ridge Music Teacher Wins Latvian Grand Music Award

Dace Aperans, music teacher at Quaker Ridge Elementary School will receive the Grand Music Award in Latvia on March 1. We asked her to share more about her good news and here is what she said:

The Grand Music Award is the highest Latvian state award in music. Since 1993, the Grand Music award has recognized each year's major musical achievements in various categories. A respected jury of Latvian musicians and musicologists decides upon the nominees and various categories of the award.

I have been nominated, and will receive the award - symbolized by a silver statuette, for "Popularizing the academic (classical) music of Latvia worldwide."

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and "Latvian Concerts" host the ceremony, which will take place on the stage of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the capitol city of Riga, Latvia. Latvian television and radio will broadcast the event live. I will travel to Riga at the end of the month, in order to attend the ceremony on March 1.

My parents were Latvian immigrants and they instilled in me a deep love and interest in the music and culture of Latvia. In 1989, shortly before Latvia again became an independent country, I first traveled there and was fortunate to meet a group of Latvian composers in Riga. Since I am a composer myself, this was a very meaningful experience for me. After returning home to New York, I began to look for ways to introduce the music of Latvian composers to cultural organizations and performers in North America. Then in 1994, I organized the first International Masterclasses for Young Latvian Musicians in Latvia, a professional music camp with a faculty largely from the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music, as well as Latvian teaching artists from around the world, with participants from all of Latvia's music high schools and the Academy of Music.

I have furthered my knowledge of Latvian classical and contemporary music and met many outstanding Latvian performers, educators and talented young artists at these biannual music camps, the twelfth of which will take place this July. Through the years, I have organized concerts and tours for Latvian performers in venues such as the Weill Concert Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Park Avenue Christian Church and others. Last summer, I was delighted to be a contributor for the very first "24 Hours of Latvian New Music" radio marathon for Q2 Music, a division of WQXR/NPR. In Latvia, I have also had the privilege of working with the wonderful announcers and musicologists at the Latvian National Radio "Klasika".

With my first visit to Latvia, I feel as if I began a beautiful and unique journey that to this day continues to enrich my musical and personal life, as well as teaching in countless ways.

Congratulations to Dace Aperans!