collection 12 - Talivaldis Kenins fonds

Talivaldis Kenins, a composer and teacher, was born in Liepaja, Latvia on April 23, 1919. He received a Bachelier des lettres from the College de Menton and Lycee de Grenoble in France in 1939, before studying composition at the State Conservatory in Riga with Joseph Wihtol. During the second Soviet occupation of Latvia following World War Two, he returned to France, and entered the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris in 1945, where he studied with Simone Plé-Caussade, Tony Aubin and Olivier Messiaen, among others. There, he received the Perilhou, Gouy d'Arcy and Halphen music prizes, and graduated in 1950 with the Grand Prix Laureate in composition.

Kenins emigrated to Canada in 1951, where he was the organist and music directory at St. Andrews Latvian Lutheran Church in Toronto. In 1952, he joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, where he taught composition and contrapuntal techniques until his retirement in 1984. Kenins composed chamber music, eight symphonies, twelve concertos, three cantatas, an oratorio, several choral works, and various educational pieces. His awards and honours include: the Champollion Silver Medal (Grenoble), Officer of the National Three-Star Order of the Republic of Latvia, and Honourary Professor by the Music Academy of Latvia.

Kenins passed away in Toronto on January 20, 2008.