On January 31, President Egils Levits nominated representatives to the council at 14 state universities, including Kaspars Putniņš at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA).
The President made his choice by addressing and meeting several dozen candidates in person, as well as consulting with representatives of the industry. According to the law, the representatives nominated by the President may not be related to the activities of the particular higher education institution and they must be excellent in the field they represent.
Kaspars Putniņš, one of the most renowned artistic directors of European chamber choirs, has been nominated for the Council of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. He has been the conductor of the Latvian Radio Choir since 1994, and is currently the music director of the Swedish Radio Choir. Putniņš regularly performs as a guest conductor with the Collegium Vocale Gent in Ghent, the DDR Chamber in Hamburg, the RIAS in Berlin and other leading European choirs. A representative of the JVLMA Council has led master classes and education projects for young musicians for young European choral music students and professionals.