Maija Einfelde – a composer, educator and remarkable figure whose life and creative journey, much like her music, are imbued with passion, intensity and genuineness. Einfelde is a two-time recipient of the Latvian Grand Music Award (in 1997 for Pie zemes tālās..., and in 2019 for lifetime achievement) and a holder of the Order of the Three Stars, 4th Class (2006). Among other awards, she is also a two-time winner of the Latvian Copyright Infinity Award: in 2002 for the international use of her compositions Pie zemes tālās..., Sirēnu sala (The Island of the Sirens) and Ave Maria; and in 2019 for the performance of her composition Lux aeterna in Germany, Sweden and the United States.

Einfelde’s music is vivid, idiosyncratic, harsh and poignant. It brings together the irreconcilable neo-romanticism of internal and external conflict, a nuanced tonal impressionism, and an emotionally heightened expressionism. The deeply emotional tension in her music oscillates across a wide range of moods, from lyrically meditative to harshly restless imagery. Einfelde’s organ music is heard in Latvia and beyond its borders; it has also been recorded and released by various labels. “But I think I’ve exhausted the organ’s timbre,” she said in an interview. Time will tell.