Irma Jaunzem

Irma Jaunzem, also Jaunzeme (1897–1975) was a Latvian-Belarusian mezzo-soprano singer and educator. Initially performing with small ensembles, she soon began to specialize in Belarusian folk songs which she collected from her travels to villages throughout the country. She subsequently extended her research to the four corners of the Soviet Union. From the late 1920s until 1967, she performed as a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society.

Biography Born on 27 September 1897 in Minsk, Irma Petrovna Jaunzem was the daughter of Pēteris Jaunzems (also Pyotr Jaunsem) and Evelina Martynovna who were both Latvians. After matriculating from high school, she studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory under the soprano Xenia Dorliak. She was also assisted by the Lavian composer Jāzeps Vītols when he became aware of her Latvian origins. He introduced her to the Latvian community's choral association which inspired her interest in Latvian folk music. It was then she embarked on visits to Belarusian villages where she discovered a wealth of folk songs, one of which was the popular Песня пастуха (The Song of the Shepherd). Thanks to her discoveries, she included Belarusian folk songs in her performances in the country's most prominent theatres, gaining the support of the Belarusian authorities and becoming a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society in 1925.

Awards In 1957, Jaunzem was awarded the People’s Artist of the RSFSR and in 1967 the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.