Michael, Lolita and Kristopher are honored to be among the nominees for Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production in the 42nd Annual Annie Awards!

The Annie Awards are presented by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood. The Annies cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced January 31 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

http://annieawards.org/nominees/#19

On Sunday, Sep 28, Kristopher attended the West Coast Premiere of “V|H|S Viral,” the third installment of the popular found-footage horror anthology series. Kristopher composed the music for the segment called “Dante the Great,” written and directed by Gregg Bishop. Screening as part of Beyond Fest 2014, the film unspooled to a packed house at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and featured a Q & A segment with the film makers afterward. The film will be released on VOD on Oct. 23 and will be followed by a limited theatrical run beginning Nov. 21.

Lolita just returned from Latvia where she had the pleasure of attending the premiere of her new Symphonic work “Uvertīra Gaismai” (translation: Overture to Light.) The recent completion of the National Library of Latvia, (“Castle of Light”) designed by world renowned architect Gunārs Birkerts, who fled Communism during World War II, served as an inspiration for the piece. This stunning building is a beautiful new landmark in the already spectacular Riga skyline. Lolita’s hope in composing this overture was to honor those who left Latvia during the war, keeping their Latvian heritage alive outside of Latvia, as well as to honor the countless Latvians who survived the unspeakable hardships and dark days under Communist rule. Latvia regained independence in 1990 and is now a member of NATO as well as the European Union, and Riga was named the 2014 cultural capital of Europe. Light prevailed over darkness. This was the guiding theme for Lolita’s concert work.

Under the direction of Ainārs Rubiķis, who came to international attention as winner of the Third International Gustav Mahler conducting competition and the recipient of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra played with great passion and precision. Lolita attended both performances of her work. October 4th, at the recently completed Cēsis concert hall, and also the following day at the Academy of Music in Rīga, an institution which opened in 1919. Both concerts were well attended.

On the afternoon of October 4th, Lolita’s trio for violin, cello and piano “Vai Sapnis” (translation: Is It a Dream?) was performed at the Vidzeme Concert Hall “Cēsis” in Latvia, as part of the World Latvian Cultural Conference.

The concert featured violinist, Laura Zariņa , who was most recently awarded the Villa Musica Young Performer’s Prize and a special prize for her Schubert interpretation at the international “Premio Rodolfo Lipizer” competition in Gorizia, Italy. As a soloist Zariņa has performed with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Latvian National Opera Orchestra, the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, the Estonian Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Mainz and the Northern German Philharmonic Orchestra Rostock. In addition to her work as a soloist, Zarina performed as an orchestra musician with the DSO Berlin (2009/2010) and the Berlin Philharmonic (2010/2011). Also featured were cellist Juris Ķeniņš, and pianist Peter Zarins both from Canada. The concert also included music by Dace Aperāns, Tālivaldis Ķeniņš, and Imants Raminš.

Michael, Lolita and Kristopher recently joined other members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences music branch at a reception honoring the music nominees in the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. The event was sponsored by ATAS and the Society of Composers and Lyricists.

Congrats to all the nominees: