KĀRLIS LĀCIS is a composer with a very broad creative spectrum – academic and choral music, instrumental experiments, and music for theatre performances, jazz, and pop music. He has composed the ballet suite Oskars Stroks. Rīgas tango, musicals like Purva bridējs ugunī, Oņegins, Žanna d’Arka, Zilais putns, Pūt, vējiņi!, as well as music for productions at Dailes Theatre and Liepāja Theatre. His body of work includes also symphonies and other works of academic music, collaborations with outstanding Latvian musicians, Song Festivals, and chamber music concerts. He is known not only as a composer but also as a pianist and producer. Kārlis Lācis is a sought-after arranger who tirelessly explores new possibilities in arranging and instrumentation. His pop music projects have gained international recognition, filling not only halls in Latvia but also those abroad.
Kārlis Lācis was born in Tukums and received his musical education at Kandava Children's Music School (piano class), Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music College specializing in piano (1992–1997), and Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, studying piano under Juris Kalnciems (1997–2001, bachelor's degree; 2003–2005, master's degree), as well as composition under Juris Karlsons (2001–2002).
Notable recognitions include: Annual Theatre Prize in the category of Musical Performance of the Year for Pūt, vējiņi! (2011) and Oņegins (2013); Latvian Music Recording of the Year Award for Best Album for Children – Lāču tēta dziesmas (2012); winner of the Annual Awards in Culture of the newspapers Diena for the musical piece Mirkļa izvēles vilinājums for symphony orchestra (2006), the album and concert program Ziedonis. Lācis. Sievietes (2013), and the song cycle Mežā (2013); The public media annual award Kilograms kultūras for concert performance Ziedonis. Lācis. Vīrieši (2022) and Opening Concert for Participants of the XXVII Nationwide Song and XVII Dance Festival (2023), as well as for the production of the musical Pūt, vējiņi by students of the Musical Theatre programme of the Riga Cathedral Choir School (2022).
Photo: Jānis Deinats