Normunds Vaicis studied opera and symphony orchestra directing at the J. Vītols Latvian Academy of Music under Vasilijs Sinaiskis and Rihards Glāzups, and has also studied with conductors Ilya Musin and Yuri Simonov.

He first stood on the Latvian National Opera’s conductor’s stand in 1990, and is today one of its most experienced conductors.

Vaicis has collaborated with symphony orchestras in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. He has premiered and recorded many Latvian composers’ work, including Pēteris Vasks, Imants Kalniņš, Arturs Maskats, and Ilona Breģe. Many concerts conducted by Vaicis have been broadcast on Latvian Radio and on Latvian Television.

Vaicis has participated in Mstislav Rostropovich’s cello festival in Riga, the Verdi opera festival at the Estonian National Opera, the Dalhalla festival in Sweden, as well as in festivals in Finland, France and Spain. He has had concerts in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Russia, China and elsewhere.