Ilona Breģe Breģe

name:	Ilona Breģe
surname:	Breģe
profession:	composer, pianist, producer
field:	music
creative organization:	Composers Union(from year of 1987)
other resposibilities:	since 2019 - Member of Latvian Composer Union Council 2007 - 2011 - Board member: Latvian Composer Union 1998 - 2002 -Vice-Chairman: Council of Latvian Creative Unions 1994 - 2002 - Board member: Latvian Composer Union 1996 - 1998 - Vice-Chairman with responsibility for artistic matters: Latvian Composer Union
residence:	Rīga
year of birth:	1959
awards:	2019 Awarded with the Order of the Three Stars on May 3, 2019 in solemn ceremony in the Riga Castle. 2012 nomination for the Prize in Culture 2011 by the Newspaper Diena - Riga Concerto No. 3 "Theater" 2011 nomination for the Prize in Culture 2011 by the Newspaper Diena - Symphony No. 3 2010 nomination for the Prize in Culture 2010 by the Newspaper Diena - Requiem 2010 Latvian Grand Music Award - Concerto for violin and orchestra. 2009 Prize "Baltais zvirbulis" by the Riga City Council for management of the RIGA Professional Symphonic Band in 2008. 2007 nomination for the Latvian Grand Music Award - Symphony No. 2 1997 Latvian Music Fund Dziesmuvara organized choir song competition - awarded arrangement of the Latvian folk song Velc, pelīte, saldu miegu (Bring, Little Mouse, Sweet Sleep) 1995 Spīdolas stipendija (Spīdolas Scholarship) by Latvian Cultural Fund for the book Teātris senajā Rīgā (Theatre in Old Riga) 1988 Jāzeps Vītols 125th anniversary chamber music competition - awarded compositions: Muzikālas anekdotes pēc latviešu folkloras motīviem (Musical Anecdotes Based on Latvian Folklore) for string quartet and poem for violin Basām kājām dvēselīte... (Barefooted Soul...) 1980 the Latvian Republic Pianist Contest - 3rd Prize Winner.
links:	www.ilonabrege.com

Ilona Breģe was born on the 20th of May 1959 in Riga (her father is choir director Valdis Breģis). She graduated the Latvian National Conservatory, studying piano with Ella Strazdiņa (1983) and composition with Pauls Dambis (1986). A former Latvian Philharmonic soloist (1983–1992), she received a laureate award in the Latvian Republic Young Pianist Competition (1980). Ilona Breģe’s creations encompass many themes – both speaking spiritually, and stylishly playful and heartfelt.
The composer defended her Doctorate of Art dissertation Rīgas Pilsētas teātris 1782–1863 (The Theatre of the City of Riga 1782–1863), and based upon that, with the assistance of the Latvian Cultural Fund Spīdolas stipendijas (Spīdolas Scholarship), developed and released the book Teātris senajā Rīgā (Theatre in Historical Riga). Regarding the theme of the time of German theatre in Rīga, she has made presentations at conferences not just in Latvia, but also elsewhere in the world: Germany (Cologne 1992, Chemnitz 1995, Greifswald 1995, Oldenburg 1997), Finland (Helsinki 1994), Poland (Gdansk 1997) and elsewhere. The pianist has prepared many vital performances of German Baltic music in this same thematic genre – the concert cycle Atskaņas no Rīgas Vācu teātra laikiem (Rhymes from the German Era of Rīga’s Theatre), the festival Musse-Fest, and, in that setting, restoration to Rīga’s concert programs artists including: Franz Liszt, Clara Schumann, singer Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (1840s), among others.
Ilona Breģe has worked as a researcher in the Latvian Science Academy in the Literature, Folklore and Art department (1992–1998). She was the director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (1997–2006, lead conductors Terje Mikkelsen, Olari Elts, Gints Glinka), and the initiator and manager of the international composers’ competition Sinfonia Baltica; the guest lecturer at the Baltic International Academy Culture Management Department (2006-2007) and Latvian Culture Academy (2012). 2006 - 2020 she took the position of director of the Orchestra RIGA of the Riga City Council.

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