Basic Education Program – 21011111 unified curriculum including vocational education programs Vocal music, Choir class – 20V21206.
The pupils are provided with a high level of basic education to ensure the pupils’ chance to continue studying both at Riga Cathedral Choir School or any other educational institution after graduating from elementary school. There is a significant amount of students who have continued their studies at Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 after graduating 9th grade at RCCS.
Along with learning general subjects, the pupils also study music subjects. The musical foundation of the school is based on its choirs. 1st- and 2nd-graders learn the basics of group singing in an ensemble lead by the teacher Ilona Poikane. From the 3rd grade onwards the boys sing in the Riga Cathedral Boys’ Choir led by Martins Klisans, the girls join the Riga Cathedral Girls’ Choir led by Aira Birzina. After the voice break, 7 – 9th grade boys join the RCCS mixed choir that is led by the conductor Gints Ceplenieks.
The students are provided with group lessons in solfeggio, music literature, music theory, individual lessons in solo singing and piano, as well as conducting starting from grade 9. Starting from the 2nd grade, the pupils also have the opportunity to learn playing an additional musical instrument (recorder, flute, saxophone, violin, cello, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, etc.)
Besides learning in the school, RCCS students are also involved in various musical projects:
- RCCS has had a close cooperation with the Latvian National Opera since 2005. The pupils of the school have had the opportunity to develop and showcase their soloist talents by performing in such shows as B. Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Noah’s Ark,W. Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, G.F. Handel’s Alcina, J. Lusen’s The Bird’s Opera, W.A. Mozart’s Magic Flute, W. Rihm’s Jakob Lenz, M. Ravel’s The Child and the Spells, J. Massenet’s Werther, B. Skulte’s Werewold heiress. At present, the Riga Cathedral Boys’ Choir is performing in G. Puccini’s Tosca, P. Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, G. Bizet’s Carmen, A. Dzenitis’ Daukas, R. Wagner’s Rienzi and A. Maskats’ ballet Dangerous Liaisons. Both the boys’ and the girls’ choir perform in B. Britten’s The Little Sweep.
- RCCS students and choirs are actively involved in various theatrical productions – R. Rogers’ musical The Sound of Music, Bernstein’s West Side Story, C.M. Schonburg’s Les Miserables, E.L. Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, etc.
- Soloists from RCCS are often involved in collaborative projects with professional music collectives, especially with Latvian Radio Choir, The State Choir Latvia, chamber orchestra Simfonietta Riga, etc.
- RCCS students participate in Latvia’s Concerts projects for schools.