Pēteris Plakidis (born March 4, 1947 in Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer and pianist.
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Plakidis was educated at the Emīls Dārziņš College of Music before studying as an undergraduate in the Composition Department at the Jāzeps Vītols State Conservatory (now the Latvian Academy of Music). He graduated in 1970, having been taught by composers Jānis Ivanovs and Valentīns Utkins. Plakidis undertook further postgraduate study at the conservatory, which he completed in 1975.
From 1969-74, before he had graduated, Plakidis held the post of Musical Director for the Latvian National Theatre. Since 1975 he has been a tutor in the Composition Department at the Latvian Academy of Music, and in 1991 he became Professor of Composition. Plakidis has received much recognition as a composer. In 1969 he received a diploma at the All-Union Young Composers' Competition, for his composition "Music for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani" and in 1982 was awarded the title of Honoured Artist. He was the recipient of the Jānis Ivanovs Prize in 1987 and in 1990 the was awarded the title of People's Artist. In 1996 Plakidis was won the Latvian Great Music Award for "Variations for Orchestra".[1]
Plakidis' music is often part of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra's reportoire,[2] and he was commissioned to write orchestral works for their 60th, 65th and 70th anniversaries. His works have also been performed by the New York University Chamber Music Society who performed "Pastorale". The New York Times described the piano part as "couched in brash, clustered harmonies" and the piece as "fascinating".[3] "Distant Song" has featured as a piano piece for ABRSM exams.[4]
On 26 July 2007, at the Lithuanian embassy in London, record label Toccata Classics released an album of the composers works entitled "Peteris Plakidis: Music for String Orchestra" on which the composer was pianist.[5] Reviews include a description of "Music for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani" as a "Bartók inspired (...) vehicle for nationalist and separatist feeling".[6]
Plakidis is married to opera and concert singer Maija Krīgena.
Orchestral
Concertante
Chamber music
Vocal