Minjona is a women's choir based at the University of Latvia. The choir was founded in 1975 by artistic director Viesturs Gailis. In 1977, it was given the name "Minjona." In 2015, Minjona was named the 9th top women's choir in the world.
History
Foundation
The first appearance of the choir occurred in 1974, when female students of the Pēteris Stučka Latvian State University were called to audition for a female choir. Viesturs Gailis, the founder of the new collective, was the first year student of Latvian State Conservatory and a son of Daumants Gallis who, at the time, was artistic director and chief conductor of the mixed choir "Juventus". The two driving forces behind the formation of the women's choir were:
an excess of women interested in singing with Juventus; and
Gallis, a conducting student in his father's Conservatory class, wished to develop his own talents as a choral conductor.
The first audition took place on 24 December 1974, followed by the first rehearsal on 11 February 1975. Since then, the date of the first rehearsal is commemorated as the choir's anniversary. The first public performance took place on 1 June 1975 in the Aula Magna of the University of Latvia during Childhood festivity. In May 1976, Minjona presented their first full concert. In Autumn 1975, the choir was called to Latvian Television to record their first sound and video record: the Latvian folk songs "Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle" and "Bēdu, manu lielu bēdu".
Name
On April 5, 1977 the choir was given a name – "Minjona", which was inspired by the character "Mignon" in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s work Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship . The choice of name was inspired by Gailis' father, known as an interpreter of the music of Emīls Dārziņš. Dārziņš had composed a piece titled "Minjona" for mixed choir; Gailis adapted this music for women's choir to commemorate the naming of the choir. This song is based on one of Goethe's Songs of Mignon, the poem "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn?" This song became for many years an anthem of the choir.
2000 – 1st place – XLVIII „Guido d'Arezzo” International Polyphonic Competition Arezzo
2001 – 3rd place – XXX „Florilège Vocal de Tours” International choral competition
2002 – 2nd place – XVII International Festival of Academic Choirs
2003– 4th place – Choir Wars of XXIII Latvian Song and XIII Dance Festival
2004 – 2nd place – XXI „Béla Bartók” International Choir Competition
2007 – 4th place –X International Choir Festival "Tallinn 2007"
2008 – 2nd place – Choir Wars of XXIV Latvian Song and XIV Dance Festival; diploma for best performance of mandatory song – Latvian folk song "Aunu, aunu balti kājas"
2009 – 2nd place – XXXI International May Choir Competition „Prof. Georgi Dimitrov”
2012 – Platin Medal – I Xinghai Prize International Choir Championships
2013 – 3rd place – Choir Wars of XXV Latvian Song and XV Dance Festival; 8th place among female choirs of the world within INTERKULTUR World Rating.
2015 – 9th place among female choirs of the world within INTERKULTUR World Rating
Nominations
Latvian Great Music Award 2013 in the category "Concert of the Year" – Minjona took part in the nominated concert of Latvian Song Festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Jāzeps Vītols in the Aula Magna of the University of Latvia
