Ilze Dzērve

Ilze Dzērve was born in Talsi on March 19, 1948. She began her piano studies at Talsi Children Music School and received a laureate diploma in a Republican competition of young pianists in 1961. She continued her education at Jelgava Secondary Music School in piano performance class of Māris Švinka; during her school years she was already acquiring experience as an accompanist through work with cello players, vocalists and choirs. In 1967 she entered Jāzeps Vītols Latvian State Conservatory and graduated prof. Nikolay Fedorovsky class in 1972. During her studies she worked as an accompanist of Choir Conducting Department student choir, accompanied lessons of prof. Daumants Gailis, prof. Imants Kokars, prof. Gido Kokars and prof. Leonīds Vīgners and performed with various chamber ensembles (with violinists Filips Hiršhorns, Jānis Bulavs, Ansis Siliņš, French horn player Vilnis Siliņš, violist Andrejs Senakols and others). Since 1973 she is an accompanist of JVLMA String Instrument Department (cello class of Māris Villerušs and violin class of Jānis Bulavs), since 1981 she worked in classes of doc. Pēteris Šāvējs and Vigo Račevskis and currently accompanies at lessons of doc. Edgars Saksons (percussions) and doc. Pēteris Kaldre (trumpet). In 2003 she became a docent of JVLMA. Since 1999 she works at Emīls Dārziņš Secondary Music School as an accompanist of the Cello Class. Together with pupils and students she has participated in local and international competitions in Latvia and abroad and has given numerous chamber music concerts. She has been an accompanist of several international Karl Davidov cello competitions and worked with prizewinning young contestants from Germany, Austria and Switzerland and has participated in competitions for orchestra musicians (chamber orchestra ‘Kremerata Baltica’, G. Mahler orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Latvian National Opera Orchestra, chamber orchestra ‘Sinfonietta Rīga’). Her accompanist’s skills have often been recognized with diplomas and honorary mentions. She has received several letters of recognition from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia for her outstanding work in preparation of young musicians for various competitions. Since 1978 she is an accompanist of ‘Minjona’ choir of the University of Latvia; since 1968 she works with mixed choir ‘Juventus’; from 1972 to 1998 she was the accompanist of men’s choir ‘Dziedonis’. With these collectives she has participated in competitions and festivals in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Canada, USA, Japan and other countries. In 2001 she was awarded the Golden Honorary Sign of the Three-Star Order.