Ausma Derkēvica

Ausma Derkēvica was a renowned Latvian choral conductor and music teacher, born on July 21, 1929, in Riga. She graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in 1959 and went on to have a distinguished career. Derkēvica was the choral conductor of the Latvian SSR Revolution Veteran choir from 1958 to 1970 and led the folk choir Dzintars from 1958 to 2000, achieving significant international success, including winning a "Grand Prix" in Debrecen in 1968. She also conducted the National Academic Choir from 1969 to 1989 and was a key figure in the development of women's choirs in Latvia.

Throughout her career, Ausma Derkēvica was recognized for her contributions to Latvian music. She was awarded the third class Order of the Three Stars in 1995 and received a lifetime pension from the Latvian Culture Capital Foundation in 1999. Her legacy as an honored professor at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and her role as a main conductor of many Latvian Song and Dance Festivals highlight her impact on the musical landscape of Latvia. Ausma Derkēvica passed away on December 26, 2011.

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