The Duo
Antra and Normunds Viksne — Latvia’s best-known piano duo, awarded the Grand Music Prize of Latvia.
Antra and Normunds Viksne began their professional career as a piano duo in 1997. Both artists received their Master’s degrees in piano-duo performance from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where they studied with professors Gunta Sproge and Maris Svinka. Later they took part in master classes taught by professors José Ribera (Denmark), Liisa Pohjola (Finland) and Helmut Ohlaf (Germany).
They have performed at many international chamber music festivals — Pro Baltica, Mariu Klavirai, Saxopfonia, the Šiauliai Piano Duo Festival, the Piano Stars Festival and others — often premiering music by contemporary Latvian composers such as Vasks, Zemzaris, Karlsons, Kalsons, Mence, Aperāne, Mežaraups and Vecumnieks.
Numerous recordings produced by the Latvian Radio and Television studios reflect the wide range of the Viksnes’ musical repertoire, which includes works by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Debussy, Messiaen, Ķeniņš, Takemitsu, Bergman, Adams and others. Their recording of Selga Mence’s “Songs” was recognised at the International Rostrum of Composers in 2000.
The duo was awarded First Prize at the 1st International Piano Duo Competition in Lithuania in 1997, together with the prize for The Best Interpretation of a Contemporary Composition. In 2001 they were finalists of the Pro Piano International Competition in New York and recipients of the distinguished Grand Music Prize of Latvia — for premieres of works by Latvian composers and concerts in Latvia and abroad. Among the musicians awarded the Grand Music Prize of Latvia that year were Mstislav Rostropovich, Baiba Skride and Arturs Maskats.
Antra and Normunds Viksne have performed at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Merkin Concert Hall in New York, the Sibelius Academy of Music and the Helsinki Opera, the Chopin Museum in Warsaw, Nybrokajen 11 in Stockholm, the California Institute of the Arts, the concert hall of the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, and other notable concert halls in Europe, the Baltic States, Russia and North America.
Piano · Born in Riga
Antra Viksne studied piano with professor Arnis Zandmanis at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and graduated with a degree in piano performance. In addition to her teaching and her duties as Head of the Piano Department at the specialised Jāzeps Mediņš School of Music, she is also an accompanist at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
Piano · Born in Pļaviņas
Normunds Viksne graduated from professor Ventis Zilberts’ piano class at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he is now a Professor and Head of the Compulsory Piano Department. As the accompanist of the Jāzeps Mediņš School of Music Boys’ Choir he has toured throughout Europe, the U.S. and South Africa.
Invitations
For concert bookings, festival programmes and collaborations — write to Antra and Normunds.