Jānis Cimze

Jānis Cimze (born 3 July/21 June 1814, Rauna parish — died 22 October/10 October 1881, Valka) was a Latvian pedagogue, collector and harmoniser of folk songs, organist, founder of Latvian choral music and initiator of professional Latvian music. He is buried at the Lugaži Cemetery.

Early life

Jānis Cimze was born at the Rauna Manor's Cimze dairy farm (hoflage) in the family of a manor's dairy farm overseer Andreas (Ansis) Cimze and her wife Anne as the first child of 8 for his parents. His initial education came from Rauna Parish School where he also learned to play the organ. From the age of sixteen he worked as a private tutor; later he was a teacher at Valmiera Parish School and an organist.

Education

In 1836 Cimze went to Germany to study at Weissenfels Teachers' Seminary which he finished in 1838. This was where he learned to play the violin and piano and improved his skills as an organist. In 1838—39 he was an external student at Berlin University where he attended lectures on mathematics, didactics and the theory of music. His music professor was Ludwig Christian Erk, a collector, harmoniser, publisher and researcher of German folk songs.