Armands Strazds
| Armands Strazds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
March 10, 1970 Riga, Latvia |
| Occupation | |
| Website |
www |
Armands Strazds (born March 10, 1970 in Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer, semiotician and software developer.
He studied composition with Gederts Ramans at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and with Friedhelm Döhl at the Lübeck Academy of Music, where he also studied computer music with Dirk Reith.[1] His PhD studies with Frieder Nake at University of Bremen are on theoretical semiotics.
Armands Strazds is the developer of the algorithmic composition systems, Digital Winds (1995),[2] Hymnica (2003) and Suranadira (Heaven's River, 2014). Plays with his music were performed by the National Theater of Latvia (Bezkaunīgie veči, 1990 and Heda Gablere, 1991) and The New Riga Theater (Tālāk, 2005). Since 1990, many of his compositions for theatre drama, including Pulss (Pulse) and Es mīlēju viņu (I loved him) were broadcast on Latvian national radio.[3]
Strazds (together with Modris Tenisons) is the creator of the Zime Project[4] which was the central exhibit of the Latvia Pavilion at Expo 2000.[5] Zimes, from the Latvian word for "sign", are coloured graphic patterns generated by the computer encryption of texts, pictures, or sounds. During the course of Expo 2000, 300,000 visitors to the Latvia Pavilion generated their personal zimes, including the (then) President of Latvia, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga.[6][7]
Strazds is founder of the RTFL think tank (2008), and editor of the "Latvia Renewed" economic development program, ISBN 978-9984-49-055-7, Riga 2010. His attempt to found a social-democratic party in Latvia on 15 December 2012 failed.[8]
Strazds is founder of the IEEE Latvia Section (2008) and IEEE Education Society Latvia Chapter.
Strazds is author of the Golden Book sequence 
A248646.[9][10]
Selected compositions
- Elysium (an oratorio for five sopranos, two vibraphones, viola and ten violins, 1993, ~30’) - Listen
- Gitanjali (an oratorio for soprano, tenor, mixed choir, string orchestra and percussions, 1990, ~50’, CD CR 01 011 94)
- Glasperlenspiel (piano and voice, 1989, ~5’) - Listen
- Hexagram (a palindrome for chamber orchestra, 1992, ~5’)
- Hymnica (computer and synthesizer, 2003)
- Klangbilder nach Brahms (film music, produced at the Crea studio, 1997, 40’).
- Laudamus (symphony, 1994, ~12’) - Listen
- Prayer (an oratorio for three sopranos, three tenors, three choirs, tubular bells, tam-tam, bass drum and cymbals, 1992, ~20’)
- Prime Music (for 5 voices, 2013) - View
- Requiem (soprano, tenor, bass, double mixed choir and string orchestra, 1991, ~30’) - Listen
- Simple Machines (IBM computers, 1994)
- Spirit of the Cities / Geist der Städte (film music, 2006, 25’)
- Structure 4 (string quartet, based on G.M.Koenig’s Projekt 1, 1994, ~3’)
- Studies of Rhythms and Color / Studia numeri et coloris (wind quintet, 1994, ~5’)
- Studies of Space / Studia spatii (two marimbas, dedicated to the Wooden Art Duo, 1994, ~8’)
- Suranadira (endless music for uncountable voices, 1989-2014)
- The Bride (music for tape, two digital celli, dedicated to the Leipzig Tanztrio, 1994, ~6’)
- The Prophet / Angels Forever in Flight (opera for soprano, tenor, mixed choir and orchestra, 2002, ~90’).
- The Wave (sine tones tape, 1993, 12’)
- Vedanta (cello, dedicated to Zheng Liu, 1994, ~11’) - Listen
- Vēstules tālajai zvaigznei / Letters to the Distant Star (a rock oratorio for soprano, tenor, mixed choir, piano, flute, cello and percussions, 1989, ~50’)
Listening
Notes and references
- ↑ Pupa, Guntars (2004)
- ↑ Gourley, David et al. (2002) p. 58.
- ↑ Radio Theatre Repertory Archives, Latvijas Radio. Accessed 20 September 2008
- ↑ The Zime Project Official site. Accessed 20 September 2008
- ↑ Profile, www.expo2000.de (in German). Accessed 20 September 2008
- ↑ National Pavilions 98.eu:Expo 2000. Accessed 20 September 2008. Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Photographs of President Vīķe-Freiberga generating her personal zime. Zime Project Official site. Accessed 20 September 2008.
- ↑ Panorama National Television of Latvia, LSM (in Latvian). Accessed 31 Mai 2015
- ↑ The Golden Book sequence OEIS.org. Accessed 24 October 2014
- ↑ The Golden Book's Level Leap Sequence OEIS.org. Accessed 31 March 2015
- Gourley, David et al. (2002), HTTP: The Definitive Guide O'Reilly. ISBN 1-56592-509-2
- Pupa, Guntars (2004) Biography: Armands Strazds, Latvian Music Information Centre. Accessed 20 September 2008.
External links
- Armands Strazds – official website
- ZIME website
- Zelta grāmatas rakstītājs, Interview with Armands Strazds (in Latvian) in the music journal, Mūzikas Saule, April/May 2006.
- Lielvārdes jostas civilizācija, illustrated article (in Latvian) devoted to Strazds and the Zime Project in Latvijas Avīze, August 29, 2008.
- Armand Strazds, Suranadira Gallery (since 1990)
- Armand Strazds, Suranadira Composer (2014)