Ainars Rubikis

The celebrated Latvian conductor, whose performances of Carmen include his debut at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu, made his debut this season with Theater Basel (La forza del destino) and returned to Latvian National Opera (Eugene Onegin) and the Basque National Orchestra. Rubiķis came to international attention in 2010, winning the third annual Gustav Mahler conducting competition in Bamberg, Germany. The following year, he received the second Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, subsequently conducting the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester at the Salzburg Festival. As music director and chief conductor of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (2012|14), Rubiķis led a varied repertoire, highlighted by Carmen, Don Giovanni, and Britten’s War Requiem. He was also awarded a prestigious Golden Mask Award as Best Conductor for a new production of Bernstein’s Mass. Highlights of recent seasons include debuts with the Bolshoi Theatre (Boris Godunov), the Oberammergau Festival (Nabucco), Tokyo’s New National Theatre, and major orchestras of Toronto, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Strasbourg, Brussels, The Hague, and Budapest. Rubiķis conducted the world premiere of composer Kristaps Pētersons’ Mikhail and Mikhail Play Chess for Latvian National Opera. A successful choral interpreter, he has served as artistic director of Dziesmuvara, the University of Latvia chamber choir.

Lyric debut: Carmen (2016|17)

Last updated: February 11, 2017
Photo: Victor Dmitriev