GUNTA
SMIRNOVA
s o p r a n o
About
The Latvian soprano Gunta Smirnova is highly praised for her radiant voice and deeply moving interpretations, mainly in the field of Baroque music. She has appeared as a soloist on concert stages like the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Stadtcasino Basel, the Zurich Opera House, the Teatro Olimpico Vicenza and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
As a sought-after specialist for early music, Gunta Smirnova performs with renowned orchestras such as La Cetra Basel under the direction of Andrea Marcon, the Kammerorchester Basel, the B'Rock Orchestra with René Jacobs, the Tonhalle Orchester Zurich under Ton Koopman and the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig under Andreas Reize.
Recurring guest appearances in Leipzig St. Thomas Church and at leading European festivals such as the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, Musikfest Bremen, the Early Music Days Herne and the Settimana Muscale di Monreale are among the highlights of her artistic achievements.
Gunta Smirnova studied singing with Evelyn Tubb and Ulrich Messthaler at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and with Lina Maria Åkerlund at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. Master classes and private lessons with Andreas Scholl, Isolde Siebert and Olena Tokar complete her training.
Since September 2024, Gunta Smirnova has been a lecturer in historical performance practice for singers at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy.
Gunta Smirnova - soprano; Sebastian Breuing - piano
LIVE-recording, August 2022
C o n c e r t s Jan - Jun 2025
22 January, 19:00 / Don Bosco Basel
José de Torres: Requiem for Luis I
Ensemble Los Elementos, Conductor - Alberto Miguélez Rouco
24 January, 20:00 / Quartierzentrum Oekolampad Basel
„Dolcissimi Sospiri“ (arias and motets by Purcell, Monteclair, Grandi, Bononcini, Handel, Vivaldi)
DUO POETICO: Gunta Smirnova (Soprano), Rafayel Ter-Sahakyan (Violine) & Lorenzo Abate (Theorbo)
1 March, 18:00 / Chapter Hall of Riga Dome Cathedral (LV)
Winter Chamber Music Festival
„Dolcissimi sospiri“ (arias and motets by Purcell, Monteclair, Grandi, Bononcini, Handel, Vivaldi)
DUO POETICO: Gunta Smirnova (Soprano), Rafayel Ter-Sahakyan (Violine) & Lorenzo Abate (Theorbo)
2 March, 17:00 / Ikšķile Lutheran Church (LV)
"Mosties, dvēsele!"
DUO POETICO: Gunta Smirnova (Soprano), Rafayel Ter-Sahakyan (Violine) & Lorenzo Abate (Theorbo)
21 March, 19:30 / Evangelische Kirche Trogen (AR)
BWV 197 „Gott ist unsre Zuversicht“
Ensemble der Bach-Stiftung St.Gallen
Conductor - Rudolf Lutz
6 April, 17:00 / Ref. Church Roggwil (BE)
Corals, Airs and Songs for the Passion Season
Gunta Smirnova - Soprano
Christine Schneeberger - Harpsichord
Dominik Sackmann - Organ
12 April, 20:00 / Berner Münster
13 April, 17:00 / Berner Münster
J. S. Bach: Johannespassion
Conductor - Amir Tiroshi
15 April, 19:30 / Neumünster Zürich
16 April, 19:30 / Martinskirche Basel
18 April, 19:00 / Philharmonie Essen (DE)
19 April, 14:15 / Concertgebouw Amsterdam (NL)
J. Haydn „Stabat Mater“
Zürcher Sing-Akademie, Kammerorchester Basel
Conductor - René Jacobs
4 May, 18:00 / Evangelische Kirche Grenzach (DE)
„Bach trifft Händel“
DUO POETICO: Gunta Smirnova (Soprano), Rafayel Ter-Sahakyan (Violine) & Ekaterina Kofanova (Organ)
11 May, 17:00 / Predigerkirche Basel
Abendmusiken: Pietro Verdina (1600 - 1643)
Conductor - Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
18 May, 10:00 / Peterskirche Basel
Musik im Gottesdienst, Werke von D. Buxtehude
Conductor - Christof Metz
12 June, 17:00 / Thomaskirche Leipzig (DE)
Bachfest Leipzig, Eröffnungskonzert
Conductor - Andreas Reize
28 June, 18:00 / Hauptkirche Carona (TI)
Festival CaronAntica
„Stella Maris“ - Werke von barock-Komponistinnen
Conductor - Giulia Genini
Videos
J. S. Bach "Ich bin herrlich, ich bin schön"
From the Cantata "Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen" BWV 49
Gunta Smirnova - Soprano
Priska Comploi - Barockoboe
Ilze Grudule - Violoncello piccolo
Andrew Burn - Bassoon
Joan Boronat Sanz - Organ
G. F. Handel "Singe, Seele, Gott zum Preise"
From "Nine German arias" HWV 206
Gunta Smirnova - Soprano
Rafayel Ter-Sahakyan - Violine
Ekaterina Kofanova - Organ
Sergio Bermudez - Theorbo
Contact