(Credit: Liepāja Symphony Orchestra)

On Feb. 26, 2026 Latvian conductor Imants Resnis has died at the age of 76.

Born in 1949, Resnis was initially a cellist, but later switched in 1987 as a conductor. He gained international recognition as a conductor in 1988 with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, with which he participated in the Prague Spring festival.

In 1992, Resnis became the artistic director and principal conductor of the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and in 1993, he founded the International Piano Stars Festival. In 1995 and 2006, he received the Latvian Grand Music Award, and in 2007, he received the newly established Latvian Music Award. Resnis was also awarded the Order of the Three Stars for his services to Latvia.

In a statement the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra said, “The name of the Maestro is etched in the history of our orchestra in golden letters. Leading the team from 1992. up to 2009. for a year, he was the one who took the Liepaja Symphonic to a new professional level, significantly expanding the repertoire and taking the orchestra’s sound far beyond Latvia – in the first major foreign tour and high-quality recordings. Fate has decided that Maestro is leaving at the moment Liepaja turns 34. For the Liepaja International Star Festival. Keeping this tradition in 1993 in the year the International Piano Stars Festival was founded by Imants Resnis, giving the city and the world a unique cultural event that has grown into a major internationally notable event over the years. The sounds of this year’s festival will also be a silent and respectful tribute to his unending energy and love of music. The Liepaja Symphony Orchestra expresses its deepest condolences to the Maestro’s relatives, friends and the entire Latvian music family. Thank you, Maestro, for the path we walked together and the musical heights we reached under your leadership! Your spirit will live on in every note we play.”