Guntars Prānis

Guntars Prānis is a Senior Researcher at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, recognized as Latvia's leading medieval music specialist. He earned his PhD Summa cum Laude in 2015 in Riga for his dissertation on the sacred music of medieval Riga, establishing his scholarly authority in historical musicology.

His academic development includes concentrated research collaborations with prominent scholars in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, featuring immersive periods in Benedictine monasteries to deepen his expertise in liturgical traditions. Prānis bridges rigorous scholarship with practical musicianship as founder and leader of the early music ensemble Schola Cantorum Riga.

Research interests center on Medieval Music, Early Music, and Sacred Music, with emphasis on historical performance practice and medieval instrumentation. His work uniquely integrates archival research with live interpretation, notably through his decade-long specialization in the hurdy-gurdy.

Prānis actively shapes Latvia's cultural landscape as a conductor in the Song Festival Movement, notably directing the 2018 sacred music concert "I am..." at Riga Cathedral with 1500 singers. Schola Cantorum Riga's international tours across 12 European countries and critically acclaimed albums demonstrate his dual impact as scholar-performer.