In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Imant Raminsh.
Imant Raminsh
b. 1943
Distinguished Canadian composer and violinist Imant Raminsh is well-respected for his instrumental and choral compositions alike. Born in Latvia, Imant Raminsh has lived in Canada since 1948. After a diploma and a degree at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, he studied for two years at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. For more than 30 years Raminsh has been Principal Second Violin of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan in the interior of British Columbia and is also the founding conductor of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra in northern BC. In 2007 his homeland honored him by making him an officer of the Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia. His love for nature often informs his compositions, especially his choral works. In 1991, Raminsh’s choral work Magnificat was performed by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at Roy Thomson Hall. He is a two-time winner of the biennial Canadian National Choral Awards in the category of “Outstanding Choral Work”, first in 1990 for his Magnificat and again in 1994 for his Veni Sancte Spiritus. Raminsh was made a member of the Order of Canada (OC) in 2018.
Suggested Choral Pieces:
- Ave Verum Corpus (Jubilate Music Group VG5018)
- Magnificat (Boosey and Hawkes)
- Sing Hey, It’s Christmas Day (Cypress Press CP1300)