The vocal ensemble “Putni” was established in 1993 in Riga, Latvia, by eight singers who all learned their skills in professional choirs in Latvia: the State Choir “Latvija”, the Latvian Radio Choir, the “Ave Sol” Chamber Choir, the Riga Vocal Group, “Marana”, etc. Members of the group frequently participate in various other musical projects both as solo singers and conductors. The professionalism of “Putni” has been recognised by international juries awarding the group the Grand Prix and prizes in six international choir competitions. “Putni” has participated in international professional music festivals in Germany, France (Etonnante Lettonie, Printemps Francais, Errobiko Festibala), Sweden, Switzerland and elsewhere and has given concerts all over the world: in Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and the USA.
The group’s repertoire includes compositions from various periods and styles, but it focuses on 20th-21st century compositions for women’s voices.
2011 Prize Winner in the choir competition in Tours (France)
1995 Grand Prix at Kotka International Choir Contest (Finland)
1993, 1994, 1995 Winner Awards in international choir contests in Tampere (Finland), Kotka (Finland), Oskarshamn (Sweden)
World premieres by Ensemble "Putni":
Aldiņš, Pēteris – Kāzu dziesmas / Wedding Songs (2006) diviem ansambļiem un sitaminstrumentiem
Aperāne, Dace– Ziemassvētku Saulgriežu dziesmas / Winter solstice Songs (2005), 8 balsīm, čellam, flautai un perkusijām
Ābols, Juris – Sv. Asīzes Franciska sarunas ar Putniem / St.Fransiskus and birds (1994) a cappella
B.R.B.G./5 P.E.R.D. 8 E.d. – Burhanuddina Rabani brīnumainais gredzens jeb 5 politiski erotiskas rotaļas daiļām 8 Eiropas dāmām /The Wonderful Ring of Burhanuddin Rabani or 5 Politically Erotic Games for 8 European Ladies (1997) a cappella
Latgalei (2003) a cappella / Latgale
Roždestvo Tvoje Hriste Bože naš (2000) a cappella
HIV (Himna iznīcinātai videi) (2001) – HIV ( Hymn for destroyed enviroment) a cappella jeb PUTNIem un iznīcinātam koklētāju ansamblim
Poļu kolendas / Polish colendas (2006) 8 balsīm, senās mūzikas ansamblim
Sapfo strofa / Strophe of Sapfo (2008) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, koklei, flautai un čellam
Ave Maria (2009) a capella
Ars amatoria/Mīlestības skola (2010) ,Ovīdija dzeja 8 balsīm, klavierēm, koklei, flautai un čellam
Charriere, Caroline - Psalm 73, veltīts Dalailamam un Tibetas ļaudīm, (2009) sieviešu balsīm, čellam un arfai
Dambis, Pauls – Mehtildes dziesmas / Songs by Mehtilde of Magdeburg (2006) 8 balsīm un elektronikai
Divas Ofēlijas dziesmas / Two Songs of Ophelia (2008) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, čellam un flautai
"Miraculum de Curlandia" (2011) for 8 female voices and recorded electronics
Dubra, Rihards – Dziesmas pusnakts tumsā / Songs in the midnight darkness (2006) 8 balsīm un kamerorķestrim
Einfelde, Maija– Sirēnu sala /The Isle of Sirens (1998) a cappella
Balts buķelis peld pa jūru / White buck swimming by sea (2003) a cappella
Gailis, Andris – Ē, upenieka meita biju / Oh, me being the daughter of riverman! (2008) a cappella
Gāga, Artis – Spānijas skices /Spanish sketch (2008) 8 balsīm un saksofonam
Grifins, Čārlzs B.– The moon of the floating world (2006) a cappella
El paso de la Siguiriya (2007) a cappella
Song of Amergine (2008) 2 ansambļiem, vijolei un čellam
Gothams, Niks – Vilku mēneša dziesmas / Wolf's month December songs (2005) - 8 balsīm, koklei, čellam, flautai un akordeonam
Strategy / Strategy (2010)- PUTNIem, klavierēm, saksofonam un kontrabasam
Harkavyy, Oleh - "Ave Maria" (2011) a cappella
"Devushka pela" (2014) for 8 voices and piano
Jansons, Mortens – Cantus Natalisii (1997) a cappella
Kīrs, Roberts – Seven spells (2006) a cappella
Kļava Juris – Aijā, žūžū / Latvian Lullaby (2006) a cappella
Kupriss, Anita – Lai birst manas greznas dziesmas / (2009), vokālai grupai PUTNI, Let sift my gorgeous songs! čellam, klavierēm, blokflautai
Kurme - Gedroica, Dzintra – Ave Maris Stella (2005) a cappella
Valsis (2007) a cappella
Mieze, Anita – Lieti un Lietas / Rain (2006) a cappella
Pelēcis, Georgs – oratorija Hildegardes dziesmas/ Hildegarde`s Songs - oratorio(2004) - 5 balsīm, blokflautai, 3 koklēm un ērģelēm
Magnificat (2006) a cappella
Roždestvenskoje pesnopeņije (2006) 8 balsīm un kamerorķestrim
Pētersons, Kristaps – Oda radošajam garam / Ode for creative spirit (2006) - 8 balsīm, altam, čellam, kontrabasam un sitaminstrumentiem
Trīs saulgriežu dziesmas deviņiem izpildītājiem / Three Winter Solstice Songs for nine performers (2006) 8 balsīm un flautai
Perfume (2008) 8 balsīm un čellam
Nekā personīga. 8 pilsētas stāstiņi / Nothing Private. 8 Urban Stories (2010) PUTNIem, klavierēm, kontrabasam, saksofonam
Prauliņš, Uģis – Mīlestības dziesmas / Love Songs (2008) - 7 vokālajiem ansambļiem, akordeonam un kontrabasam
Brīvības sajūta/ Feeling of Freedom (2010) 8 balsīm un akordeonam
Būt laimīgai / To be Happy (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, saksofonam, kontrabasam
Tā arī dzīvojam / To Live like that (2010) 8 balsīm, metalofonam, klavierēm, ģitārai, akordeonam, klavierēm, 2 saksofoniem, kontrabasam
Uznāk / To Come Up (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm
Man tik ļoti tevis vajag/I need You So (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, saksofonam, kontrabasam Ziema / Winter (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, saksofonam, kontrabasam, akordeonam
Un tad ir rīts/ Then Comes the Morning (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, saksofonam, kontrabasam, akordeonam, ģitārai
Ledus grauzējs/ Ice Nibbler (2010) balsīm, klavierēm, 2 saksofoniem, kontrabasam, akordeonam, metalofonam, vijolei
No vienas bezgalības/ From One Infinity (2010) 8 balsīm, klavierēm, saksofonam, kontrabasam, akordeonam, vijolei
Pūce, Valts – Laiks iet / Time Goes by (1998) a cappella
Sirds zin / The heart knows (1998) 8 balsīm, klavierēm un obojai
Raginskis, Edgars – Jūti?... / Do You feel?...(2006) a cappella
Riše, Indra – Pamošanās / Awakening (2000) 8 balsīm, flautai un vibrofonam
Ek, lietutiņš……Rain, rainy! (2001) a cappella
Trīs dieniņas / Three Days I was crying (2003) a cappella
Gaismas krusts / Cross of light (2008) 7 balsīm un klavierēm
Tīrās blēņas / Nonsense (2010), 7 balsīm, klavierēm, čellam un flautai
Sauka, Ansis – Septiņas japāņu haiku par pavasari/ Seven Japanese Haiku Poems (1998) a cappella
Ave verum (2004) a cappella
Šūpļadziesma / Lullaby (2004) a cappella
Savicka, Austra – Viss izkūst / Everything melts (2006) 8 balsīm un stīgu kvartetam
Szeghy, Iris - Mirabilia (2012) a capella
Vaivods, Juris – Asperges me (1995) a cappella
Nāc, Dieviņi, šovakaru / Come God tonight (2006) a cappella
Sadzīs pēdas / To keep the trace (2000) a cappella
Vangenheims Folkers – Canticum sponsae (1999) a cappella
Viļums, Mārtiņš – Simtheryl Tyop (2008) - 8 balsīm, koklei, flautai, akordeonam un čellam.
Winkelman Helena Spells and charms from ancient times(2013)
2013 CD Papīra putni/Paper birds (Spektrs)
2011 CD PILSĒTAS ROMANCE/ THE URBAN ROMANCE (PRCD 257, P – Platforma.lv/Putni)
2008 CD TOCCATA ALLA FANTASIA (HBF007, P Carmina Baltica)
2007 CD ECUMENIC CHRISTMAS (HBF005, P Carmina Baltica)
2006 CD HILDEGARDE'S SONGS for 5 female voices, three kokles', recorder and organ (PCD4, P Putni)
2003 CD PAMOŠANĀS (PCD3, P Putni)
1999 CD EIGHT DAYS A WEEK (PCD2, P Putni)
1997 CD PUTNI (PCD1, P Putni, producer A.Dreģe)
Key, most important events:
2011 Festival Latvian New Music Days
2010 The Urban Romance -Tripartite performance with elements of ambient, jazz and rock music.
2010 festival Latvian New Music Days
2009 project „Voix/Balss” .Exchange programme of choirs Choeur de Jade (Switzerland) and PUTNI (Latvia)
2009 festival Latvian New Music Days
2008 festival YOUrope together (Essen, Germany)
"The Urban Romance” is a sensitive city story, who tells about real city engaged business ladies, which still had left a small place for a flower pot in ther life, like a romantic island. We can see them like lions in the office and fragile like a flower. They need a shelter from the rain. That is a very different range of emotions....I would greatly commend the groups PUTNI great job and professionalism which is invested, to be able to act wonderfully and sing by heart for one hour and a half. Every lady sings, speaks, acts and plays an instrument. They do everything, as it should be in a contemporary theatre. I was looking at the performance with a sweet pleasure, from one side it is so simply, on the other side so perfectly done, chiselled... The singers do their part without any doubt. Good mastership.
/ Inita Gūtmane “Kurzemes Vārds, 2010.9.Apr./
Magnifique florilège de découvertes vocales et compositionnelles issu d`une belle rencontre artistique!
/ Marie Alix Pleines, La Liberté, 2009/
Excellent vocal and disclosure of compositional bouquet in a beautiful artistic performance...
/ Marie Alix Pleines, La Liberté, 2009/
...Colorful harmonies, soaring high notes and foreign words flowed from the lips of eight women Tuesday night in Davies Theatre...Latvians love to teach the ballad to everyone who goes there...It`s nice to actually see something like this. I`m impressed.I like it. ...Putni`s dissonant harmonies are bizarre to an American choir`s ears...it is really great for Eau Claire to get..the opportunity to come see this type of cultural experiance.
/THE SPECTATOR, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, 16.11.2006., Brian Reisinger/
...I notice a diference between New York and Latvia, one that reflects well on Latvia...My experiance witrh PUTNI was that they are willing to take on difficult work....They commit to the process as much as to the goal of performance.
/Ch.B.Griffin. Qualified success. Putni and my three – in – one premjere, 2006/
...When listening to "Putni" it sometimes seems that you hear an entire orchestra…..the ensemble achieves this with their elegantly refined and yet natural sound, in which everything pulsates, starting from the singers' voices to the crystal chandelier in the concert hall...
/Irena Lagzdina, "Briva Latvija" 25.-31.10.2003./
..."Putni" is alternative - so very different from the typical female vocal ensemble and the constraints of chamber choir traditions… The high level of professionalism of this eight-voiced ensemble of soloists is fascinating....
/Inese Lusina, "Diena" 21.03.1997./
...Musical theatre concerts are nothing new in the world, however I have never had the opportunity to hear such vocally masterful singing. In Latvia concerts of this nature where often given by the chamber choirs " Ave Sol" and in particular, - "Sindi putnu darzs". However PUTNI have taken a different creative direction and as regards, artistry and vocal ability, at a far higher level of quality...
/"Australijas Latvietis"/ 24.12.2001
...The girls are not only more attractive than on their posters, but are also full of charm. It is particularly good to witness that the outmoded undertone of theatrical ceremony, which used to be characteristic of most ensembles from Latvia - and incomprehensible to Westerners - has been overcome… The girls are in a class all of their own, when compared to, say, the popular US ensemble "Chanticleers".
/Andris Kadegis, "Briva Latvija" Nr.22-1999.g./
website: www.putni-ensemble.lv