Pēteris Vasks is a Latvian composer whose orchestral, chamber and choral music explores the relationship between human vulnerability, the natural world and spiritual hope. Born in Aizpute in 1946, he trained as a double bassist in Vilnius and later studied composition in Riga. His experience as an orchestral musician informs a sustained interest in string instruments, alongside writing for voices, piano and winds. Early experiments with texture and unconventional instrumental sounds gradually developed into a language that balances lyrical lines, concentrated harmonies and episodes of tension. Birdsong and the shapes of Latvian folk music recur as sources of inspiration, while questions of freedom, memory and responsibility connect the music to its historical setting.
His catalogue includes symphonies, concertos, string quartets and works for choir, with long-standing collaborations involving Gidon Kremer, Sol Gabetta and the Latvian Radio Choir. Vasks remains active in 2026, discussing his continuing compositional practice in an April interview with Latvian public broadcaster LSM. Programmes marking his eightieth birthday bring together established scores and new work. The Stift Festival’s programme for 25 August 2026 in Oldenzaal combines the second cello concerto Presence and the violin concerto In Evening Light with a newly commissioned duo for violin and cello. Alongside these larger works, solo and chamber pieces demonstrate the range of ensembles through which he develops his musical ideas.