Associate professor, Head of Department of Vocal Music
Aira Rūrāne holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. During her studies, she attended masterclasses of prof. Regīna Frīnberga and further honed her professional mastery with M. Gruzdeva, P. di Napoli, M. Honig, J. Ryhänen, I. Krikunova, and A. Everaert.
Since 2000 Aira Rūrāne collaborates with, and since 2006 is a soloist of the Latvian National Opera. Aira Rūrāne is in great demand as a teacher – as a vocal coach she has worked with various choirs, as well as with the collectives of the Latvian National and Valmiera Drama Theatres. She has taught solo and ensemble singing at the Latvian Academy of Culture.
Aira Rūrāne was the recipient of the AS “Latvijas Gāze” Annual Opera Award as the Best Opera Soloist (2007) and For Exceptional Artistic Achievements (2008), as well as the recipient of the Pauls Sakss Recognition Award (2007).
On the Latvian National Opera stage she has performed such roles as Madame de Croissy in F. Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites”, Mother Goose in I. Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress”, Fata Morgana in S. Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges”, Woglinde and Wellgunde in R. Wagner’s “Das Reingold”, Ortlinde in “Die Walküre”, Wellgunde and Second Norn in “Götterdämmerung”, Senta in “Der fliegende Holländer”, Domna Ivanovna Saburova in N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride”, Mariya in P. Tchaikovsky’s “Mazeppa”, Tatyana in “Eugene Onegin”, Lisa in “The Queen of Spades”, Rusalka in A. Dvorak’s “Rusalka”, The Mistress of the Novices in G. Puccini’s “Sour Angelica”, Katerina Lvovna Izmailova and Aksinya in D. Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”, Lūcija in J. Lūsēns’ “The Puppet’s Opera”, Daughter’s Mother in I. Kalniņš’ “I Played, I Danced”, Karolka in L. Janáček’s “Jenůfa”, Micaela and Frasquita in G. Bizet’s “Carmen”, First Lady in W.A. Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”, and Euridice in C.W. Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Eudirice”.
Aira Rūrāne has performed solo recitals in many Latvian cities and abroad – in Germany, Great Britain and Canada. She has appeared as a soloist with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Latvian National Opera Orchestra, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Riga Chamber Musicians, New Riga Chamber Orchestra, the RIGA Professional Symphonic Band, Latvian National Armed Forces Orchestra, and various festival orchestras. She has performed soprano solo parts in various vocal-instrumental opuses with numerous Latvian choirs and chamber choirs, and participated in chamber music concerts alongside the best collaborative pianists of Latvia, performing classical as well as contemporary repertoire. Aira Rūrāne has participated in productions of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Bergen National Opera, Graz Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, Estonian National Opera, and Macau Opera.
In 1995 she became a soloist of the Opera Studio “Figaro”, where she sang the roles of Cherubino in W.A. Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”, Hänsel and the Gingerbread Witch in E. Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel”, Clarina in G. Rossini’s “La cambiale di matrimonio” and Lia in C. Debussy’s “L'enfant prodigue”.