Annual Review — 2019

Dear Members and Supporters of TILTS!

This is a review of our activities in 2019. Owing to the pandemic and other circumstances, it has been completed much later than usual, but we hope it will provide interesting and useful insights into TILTS’ multifaceted activities.

At the beginning of the year, as we began to plan this year’s TILTS membership and board meetings, our “heart and soul” Ģirts passed away suddenly on February 17th. A scant two weeks later the global COVID pandemic had taken hold, and it soon became apparent we would not be able to hold our annual April meetings as planned.

TILTS’ 2020 annual membership meeting took place October 10th in Poughkeepsie, NY at the home of board member Andris Padegs, socially distanced, out on his backyard deck. Five board members — Dace Aperāne, Gundars Aperāns, Ārija Kats, Irīna Kats and Andris Padegs voted in the board and audit committee members, ratified the minutes of the 2019 membership meeting, financial review, and notifications of the audit committee; and approved this year’s projects reported during the July 18th Zoom board meeting special session. Forty prior board members were re-elected, with five additional: Pēteris Dajevskis, Aina Laķis, Māra Linde, Māra Pelēce and Sandra Zeidenberga Jansone; altogether 45 from the USA, Canada, and Latvia. The prior audit committee members were also re-elected — Pēteris Āns, Jānis Bebris, Kaspars Krēsliņš. The new board was convened October 11th via Zoom.

Our sincerest thanks to all who, notwithstanding this year’s challenging circumstances, have supported TILTS’ activities with their goodwill, helpful information, and suggestions for new projects, and sent in their membership fees. Thank you for your trust! We hope to resume tours in the fall of 2021, in the meantime, to begin 2021 live-streaming concerts and other cultural events as part of our “Culture BRIDGE” cycle; we will share information about the programs in the near future. We will also continue to support significant cultural projects and to work together with Latvian organizations in the USA and globally.

We wish you a bright and Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Dace Aperāne	Andris Padegs
TILTS chairperson	TILTS vice-chairperson

Remembering TILTS’ “heart and soul” Ģirts Zeidenbergs (1934–2020)

“Forward ho!” Ģirts often concluded both conversations and TILTS board members meetings with this short exhortation. Ģirts was one of TILTS’ founders and chairperson for many years. Ģirts left us February 17, 2020.

Ģirts was a proponent and initiator for many new ideas and cooperative ventures, especially when it came to relations with Latvia. Ģirts supported and initiated contacts with Latvia at a time when American Latvian society did not acknowledge them and many considered them less than trustworthy. During the “National Awakening” he organized under the aegis of TILTS (then the Mid-Hudson Latvian Association) events for Imants Ziedonis, Ieva Akurātere, the folklore ensemble “Skandinieki” and other Latvian musicians and prominent cultural personalities. In 1989, Ģirts participated in the “National Awakening” era activist conference at Gananoque (April 7-9), and in the Latvian People's Front support group in New York. Not only was he TILTS’ co-founder and long-time chairperson, but he was also a member of the American Latvian Association and Baltic Appeal to the United Nations (BATUN), and supporter of the founding of the World Federation of Free Latvians and the Latvian Fund.

Whenever Ģirts took on a project, he worked relentlessly to ensure it was taken successfully through to fruition. Along the way he enlisted participants from multiple generations and kept up contacts with a wide range of compatriots across the globe. Anyone encountering Ģirts at some event would see him with his small notepad and pen in hand, recording phone numbers and Email addresses, all the while engaging in intense discussions about cultural and other developments in Latvian society.

Ģirts’ passion for Latvia’s development never dwindled; in 2015 he launched the “Information Dissemination” project, featuring articles on views of potential significance for Latvia, as perceived and analyzed by knowledgeable foreign journalists and authors, distributed to more than 100 governmental leaders, interested parties, and media in Latvia and worldwide.

For his significant and notable contributions to Latvian culture and education, Ģirts Zeidenbergs received Latvia’s Order of the Three Stars and Certificate of Recognition from the Latvian American Association.

Sincere thanks to Māra Pelēce for her photo of Ģirts, taken in Minneapolis.

Classical music

In 2019, TILTS’ music department arranged concert tours for two notable Latvian pianists — Dzintra Erliha and Juris Žvikovs.

Pianist Juris Žvikovs’ April 13th concert was organized by the Minnesota Latvian concert association and its chairperson, Benjamiņš Aļļe. The Cleveland Latvian Concert Association concert took place May 4th, under the leadership of chairperson Anda Sūna Cook. Juris Žvikovs performed works by Latvian and other composers at the two concerts. Reviews were excellent: “Pēter Vasks’ ‘Scene of White’ from his cycle ‘Times of the Year’ led one to infiltrate the senses of the Latvian winter, even hearing the dance and silence of the snowflakes in the the artist’s attainment of virtuosity” (LAIKS, June 15-21, 2019 — Anda Sūna-Cook). The audience for each concert totaled about 80.

We invite you to view “COME PRIMA” MŪZIKAS PUSSTUNDA - pianists JURIS ŽVIKOVS (in Latvian) on YouTube to better familiarize yourself with Juris Žvikovs and his piano performances.

Pianist Dzintra Erliha’s tour “Scenes of Latvian piano works” took place in Cleveland (Oct. 19), Philadelphia (Oct. 26), and New York’s Kosciuszko Concert Hall (Oct. 27) with the support of patrons Pauls Grūbe, the Cleveland Latvian Concert Association and St. John’s Congregation. In her uninterrupted concert program, Erliha performed the piano works of Snorri Sigfús Birgisson, Lūcija Garūta, Jānis Ivanovs, Aivars Kalējs, Ragnar Kristinn, Alexander Scriabin, Friedrich Chopin, and Peter Vasks. Besides these concerts just mentioned, Erliha also performed a concert (Oct. 24) at the Nebraska University Strauss Music Center, arranged by the Omaha Music Department. In his recap of the concert (LAIKS, Nov. 9-15, 2019), Ārijs Liepiņš recounted local Latvians meeting with the artist after her splendid concert.

The total concert audience totaled some 125. We invite you to explore the “Dzintra Erliha” channel on YouTube for a taste of her piano performances.

2019 Knut Lesiņš Young Artists Music Award laureates — saxophonist Aigars Raumanis’, pianist Patrīcija Ciemese’s and pianist Viktorija Martiņuka’s tour’s three “Musical conversations” concerts took place in Minneapolis (Sep. 29) with the support of the Knut Lesiņš Fund and the Minnesota Association of Latvian Organizations (LOAM), in Detroit (Oct. 3) with the support of the Latvian Association of Detroit, and New York (Oct. 5) with the support of the Yonkers Latvian School.

The young musicians delighted listeners of all generations with their inspired and beautiful performances and rich concert programs, highlights including works by Anita Kuprisa, Jānis Mediņš, Aigars Raumanis and other Latvian composers.

This was the fifth Knut Lesiņš Young Artists Music Award tour in a row which TILTS helped sponsor. The total concert attendance numbered some 110. Latvia’s RADIO 3 Classical produced a video broadcast with the young musicians discussing their influences and achievements. The Yonkers Latvian School children and parents expressed their desire to attend another classical music concert.

Valdis and Rūta Muktupāvels’ Concert Tour “Mani balti bāleliņi”

Over the course of three weeks in November 2019, Latvia University professor Valdis Muktupāvels and Latvian Cultural Academy rector professor Rūta Muktupāvele presented virtuoso folk music concerts, “Mani balti bāleliņi” [My brothers dressed in white, white dress for men and women being the most ancient of Latvian folk costumes], in 14 major Latvian centers in the American heartland, on the east and west coasts, and in Toronto, Canada. They also performed as part of four lectures presented at the University of Washington. TILTS’ Folklore department head Tija Kārkle and TILTS Music department head Dace Aperāne coordinated the tour in association with local Latvian organizations. The primary goal of the tour was to promote a deeper understanding and pride in the rich musical heritage of the Latvian and other Baltic peoples, and its significance today. The events attracted Latvians of all generations from all across North America.

At Priedaine (Freehold, New Jersey) and Philadelphia, Dr. Rūta Muktupāvele delivered her Latvian Independence Day speech “The symbolic value of the Latvian nation: Reflections on the 101st anniversary of Latvia”. At the New York Independence Day celebration, Rūta Muktupāvele sang three folks songs with a combined children’s choir of the Yonkers and New Jersey Latvian schools.

Professor Guntis Šmidchens, in cooperation with Tija Kārkle, arranged four guest lectures for Valdis and Rūta Muktupāvels about Latvian and Baltic people’s music and musical instruments for ethno-musicology students at the University of Washington; about 200 students and academics attended the lectures.

The concert program, along with Valdis Muktupāvels engaging narratives about the Latvian and Baltic languages, history, and musical instruments, connected sincerely with concert attendees of all generations. Our sincere thanks to all the venues for their superior coordination, welcoming accommodation of the musicians, and providing and ensuring audio-visual facilities.

The 14 concerts and lectures totaled some 1,650 attendees: Chicago 80, Kalmazoo 55, Cleveland 70, Minneapolis 69, Priedaine 50, Washington DC 90, Boston 55, New York 300, Philadelphia 116, Toronto 175, Portland 80, Seattle 55, San Francisco 110, Los Angeles 125, and University of Washington 200. The tour was generously supported by the American Latvian Association, the Latvian Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the World Federation of Free Latvians, as well as local associations and concert organizers. Thank you all very much for your essential support! The tour concluded with a positive cash flow.

Publicity is essential to organizing and presenting concerts such as these. While we usually do not report on such minutia, this time we want to provide an example here, listing everything the organizers need to consider.

Information about the concerts was advertised simultaneously in diaspora newspapers (newspaper LAIKS, “TIME” with three paid advertisements and notices in their calendar department, and Latvija Amerikā, “Latvia in America”) and newsletters (for example, Čikāgas Ziņās, “Chicago News”, New York congregation Baznīcas Ziņās, “Church News”, etc.), the TILTS annual review and web home page (tilts.org), Latvian American Association Infogram, Latvian Dimensions vol. 28 and home page (alausa.org), latviesi.com, latviesiamerika.com, the Latvian Embassy to the United States and local Latvian center web sites and their Facebook pages, as well as Emails to local organizations’ supporters and members.

TILTS’s Facebook posting of art designer Uģis Nīgals’s tour flyer (Sep. 11) reached 17,421 readers, engaged 2,556, and garnered 143 organizational and indivudal “shares.” As the tour progressed, reports in Facebook about the concerts featuring photographs and videos kept up interest in the tour. The head of Chicago Latvian radio, Silvija Kļaviņa-Barshney, conducted an interview with Rūta and Valdis Muktupāvels about their Latvian and Baltic peoples’ musical concert program and tour (Nov. 4). “Their overall performance was a perfectly balanced, illustrated overview of Baltic cultural history with a focus on folk music, which they complemented by playing traditional instruments and engaging the audience in singing.” (Newspaper Latvietis, “Independence Day celebration in Philadelphia” — Sandra Milevska (Dec. 3). Review in LAIKS by Ligita Kovtuna: “Resounding, informative and emotionally rich communication about our roots”.

Sincere thanks to Tija Kārkle for arranging the U.S. P-3 visas for the Muktupāvels and to Iveta Grava for submitting the tour to the Ministry of Culture/World Federation of Free Latvians song festival/cultural project contest. A special thanks to Rūta and Valdis Muktupāvels for their stamina and passionate music-making, as well as for their splendid gift to both TILTS and the American Latvian Association of their book: “Folk Music Instruments of LATVIA”!

Tija Kārkle, head of TILTS’ Folklore department, shares her commentary on her activities organizing the Muktupāvels’ tour:

“Folklore has always been an important part of my family’s life and identity. At one time, my mother, Maruta, headed up TILTS’ Folklore department and I was happy to help her organize several tours. When she passed away, Ģirts Zeidenbergs asked me to take over the Folklore position. Well, now both of these people close to me have left this life and I am glad to continue working in the TILTS family in honor of Maruta and Ģirts. I am gratified that in recent years we have contributed to the growing popularity of folklore in the Latvian communities of North America. There is much that is going on in the field of Latvian folklore, in traditional and modern expression, and I hope that in the coming years TILTS will be able to continue to create interesting and valuable offers for Latvian centers in North America. My husband and I currently live near Portland, Oregon; we are living very carefully during the COVID-19 pandemic and staying healthy!”

May the kokles resound far and wide!

TILTS decided to support a new project, “Trimdas Kokle”, The Kokle [Latvian zither] in Exile, initiated and lead by northern California Latvian schoolteacher, Garezers 3x3 camp co-leader, and TILTS board member Māra Linde. This fall, “Trimdas Kokle” in concert with TILTS organized the “Kokle resounded” Zoom meeting with northern Californian (Oct. 18) and Minnesotan (Dec. 6).

The first “Kokle resounded” Zoom meeting was led by project initiator Māra Linde. In addition to Māra Linde, 20 other participants took part in the event, which was aimed mainly at the northern Californian Latvian community. Among them were Dace Veinberga, a collaborator of the project, several co-workers, interested parties and the prominent founder and facilitator of the movement promoting the kokle in exile, Andrejs Jansons.

Māra Linde began the program with her kokle, performing the Latvian folk song “Kokles resounded”, which was played regularly for many years in exile at Kokle Days, at holidays, and at Latvian schools and summer camps where kokle lessons were offered. She offered participants a rich and varied presentation about the rise of the kokle in exile, the kokle-performance movement, and about the “The Kokle in Exile” project. One of the main goals of the project is to create a database of kokle masters living in exile and the kokles they have constructed. As Māra Linde explained, significant work had already begun on data collection — regardless of the pandemic, research was conducted reviewing newspapers published in Latvia on the www.periodika.lv web site, as well as culling valuable information from exile era newspapers and journals about the kokle-performance movement in America and Canada. It is currently believed that there were some 45 kokle masters — who during that time had constructed more than 1,800 kokles.

During Māra Linde’s the engaging presentation the audience learned about the most significant personalities who promoted the kokle-performance movement in exile, especially during its early years — Leonīds Linauts, Valentīna Bērzkalns, Otto Kampis, Jānis Norvils, Valdis Kārklis, Konstantins Dravnieks, Andrejs Jansons, Kārlis Staško and many others.

The performance was followed by engaging and energetic conversations, during which several participants showed their personal kokles to the audience and shared stories about their instrument, as well as their kokle-performance experience, participating in the Song Festival, 2x2 and 3x3 camps and events. Māra Linde, Dace Veinberga and Andrejs Jansons provided helpful answers to those participants who were interested in kokle lessons, playing techniques, opportunities to buy kokles, available sheet music materials and other topics.

Our first “Kokles resounded” virtual event resounded brightly, indeed. Working together with the “The Kokle in Exile” project, the Latvian cultural association TILTS plans to arrange Zoom meetings in America's heartland and east cost, supporting this worthwhile project which brings to light the kokles constructed during the exile ear and the rich cultural heritage wo which they are connected. All that remains is to proclaim — may the kokles resound far and wide!

Our remote events via Zoom will continue in the New Year!

Young Artists' Talent Fund

The Young Artists' Talent Fund, headed by Laila Robiņa with the assistance of Annas Ķepe, had no income in 2019 gadā. Awards made in 2019:

• $1,500.00 - composer Līva Blūma
• $ 750.00 - cellist Emīlija Rozenšteina

The year-end balance of the The Young Artists' Talent Fund was $3,655.00. Contributions to the fund can be sent to the TILTS treasurer with a note designating them as such. Checks should be made out to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS”.

Music Camp Fund

This fund supports Master Classes of the International Latvian Young Musicians’ Camp which is held every second year in Latvia. The next camp — the 14th masterclasses — were anticipated to be held in July 2020, but was rescheduled for July 2021. As in prior years, the masterclasses weill be held at the Sigulda School of Arts Baltais Flīģelis. The year-end balance of the Music Camp Fund was $5,873.00.

Dace Aperāne, together with Anda Sūna Cook and Gunta Semba, manages the fund.

Contributions to the fund can be sent to the TILTS treasurer with a note designating them as such. Checks should be made out to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS”.

Awards

TILTS provided financial assistance to the following projects in 2019 and 2020:

• $1,000.00 — to the Latvian National Opera Guild for a new production of Jānis Kalniņš’ opera “Hamlet” to be performed January 13, 2022 at the Latvian National Opera. TILTS iTILTS is pleased to be the first Latvian organization to support this valuable and historic project. More information is available at www.lnogasv.org/.
• $500.00 — for publication of Dzintra Andrušaite’s book “Ēvalds Dajevskis / 1914-1990”. Pēteris Dajevskis is currently working with the publisher Jumava and the author to organize the book launch celebration in Latvia and the USA next year.
• $1,000.00 (CAD) — for publication of the book “Latvian-Canadian Art, Music, Letters” (authors Rihards Lote and Karina Mieriņa) about Canadian Latvian musicians, ballet and theater artists, and authors. It will be published by LATCAN (Latvia Canada Business Council).
• $1,814.00 — Minnesota Association of Latvian Organizations (LOAM) for coordination of the Knut Lesiņš award concerts.
• $2,250.00 — to the Young Artists Fund.
• $600.00 — to the Ģirts Zeidenbergs originated “Information Dissemination” project.
• $300.00 — for screening the film “Pērkons”, Thunder, at the Wende Cold War Museum in California, more on the film at www.fallon.com/perkons.

Total amount awarded: $7,464.00.

Other Events

• The TILTS annual members general meeting was held April 6th, 2019 at the German Society of Pennsylvania (611 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA) as well as a meeting of the TILTS board prior to the main meeting, and assembly of the new board afterwards. 45 members were elected to the board, 40 returning and five new members: Anita Bataraga, Iveta Grava, Irīna Kats, Laila Mednis and Māris Kukainis.

• At 2019 year end, 72 members had joined the American Latvian Association through TILTS, including 4 Amber life-time members, 9 Gold life-time members, 54 life-time members, and 5 annual members.

• Ints Dzelzgalvis was TILTS’ delegate to the American Latvian Association”s 2019 annual congress.

• Dace Aperāne and Ints Dzelzgalvis were TILTS’ delegates to the American Latvian Association”s 2020 annual congress, held virtually.

• Dace Aperāne, Ārija Kats and Irīna Kats represented TILTS at the Council of Latvian Organizations in New York in 2019 and will continue to do so in 2020.

• In three shipments via the Latvian American Shipping Line in 2019 and one on July 9th, 2020, TILTS sent 466 boxes of box donated by compatriots, totaling 7,076 kg. Shipment was financed by the owners of the books’, which will be distributed to schools and libraries.

• TILTS intends to organize streaming concerts and other events in the first half of 2021 as part of the "Culture BRIDGE" cycle.

2020 Board amd Membership Meetings

The TILTS board consists of 45 individuals. A large board allows us to involve its members in all major Latvian centers as well as Latvia. This facilitates organizing tours throughout the USA and Canada and engaging musicians and artists in Latvia. This year, owing to the pandemic, the annual board meeting could not be held as usual in the spring, instead convened virtually on July 18th via Zoom. In turn, the annual membership meeting was held in person October 10th, in Poughkeepie, New York; 4 board members — Dace Aperāne, Gundars Aperāns, Ārija Kats, Irīna Kats and Andris Padegs — elected a new board, thanks to proxies sent in by TILTS membership. The following day, October 11th, the new board was convened and met via Zoom.

Ārija Kats joind Ints Dzelzgalvis as our second “Senior Vice Chairperson”.

On October 10th, the TILTS board elected 45 individuals: 37 in the USA, 7 in Latvia, and one in Canada.

Thank You!

• Pēters Vecrumba our “webmaster” — he designed and maintains the TILTS web site www.tilts.org/ and content. Thank you, Pēter!

• Thank you, Ārija Kats, for her assistance in organizing the TILTS address “card file”.

• Thank you to all the contributors who assisted in sending out the annual TILTS review.

• Thanks to TILTS’ audit committee, which assists our treasurer Juris Baidiņš in tracking TILTS’ finances. The committe members are: Pēteris Āns, Jānis Bebris, and Kaspars Krēsliņš.

Membership

TILTS’ work depends mostly on your contributions. In recent years, owing to reduced attendance and increasing expenses, tours can no longer finance themselves, meaning TILTS must usually make up the difference.

Owing to the pandemic it is not currently possible to organize tours, but we hope to resume them in the fall of 2021. [Unfortunately the pandemic has yet to subside to make this possible.] In the meantime we will be organizing “Culture BRIDGE” virtual events, which will require financial support. Similarly, contributions are essential to bring educational and cultural projects to fruition.

Please join TILTS as a member, starting at only $15! Our membership fee has remained unchanged for many years so as to not be an impediment to membership for those of limited means. Please make out your checks to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS, Inc.” and send to the TILTS treasurer in the USA: Juris Baidiņš, 1104 Windon Drive, Wilmington, DE 19803.

In 2019, TILTS received membership fees and general contributions totaling $10,550 from 244 members. The average member contribution was $43.24 (not counting donations to specific funds). The corresponding figures for 2018 were $11,476 from 251 members for an average of $45.72.

TILTS annual income for 2918 was $50,264 and expenses $28,780, yielding a balance of $21,483. TILTS’ 2019 year end balance was $69,493.

TILTS finances

TILTS financial overview for 2019
			Gene­ral account	Young Artists’ Fund	Music Camp Fund	Infor­mation Project Fund	Total
Value January 1 2019			41,360	5,905	0	745	48,010
Receipts in 2019.
	Revenue from tours and events
		Dzintra Erliha	4,935				4,935
		Muktupaveli tour sponsor payments	4,141				4,141
		Gupalo (2018)	400				400
		Graube (2018)	107				107
	Annual memberships and donations		8,615				8,615
	Directed donations		1,905		5,873		7,778
	Funds awarded to TILTS
		ALA - Muktupaveli tour	5,000				5,000
		Ministry of Culture - Muktupaveli tour	7,711				7,711
		Latvian Fund - Vilkači (2018)	10,000				10,000
		Žvikovs	976				976
		Detroit support - K.Lesiņš	600				600
	Bank interest		1				1
Total receipts			44,391	0	5,873	0	50,264
Disbursements in 2019:
	Tour and event expenses
		Muktupaveli	12,750				12,750
		Dzintra Erliha	6,483				6,483
		Žvikovs	523				523
	Awards to organizations, schools, individuals
		K.Lesiņš	1,814				1,814
		Young Artists’ Fund		2,250			2,250
		Information Project				600	600
	Administration and other internal expenses		4,361				4,361
Total disbursements			25,931	2,250	0	600	28,781
Value December 31, 2019			59,820	3,655	5,873	145	69,493

We invite you to follow TILTS on Facebook @TILTSAssociation and Twitter twitter.com/LatvianTilts

TILTS is particularly thankful to its generous donors who each contributed over $1,000 to TILTS’ general and special projects funds:

• New Brunswick and Lakewood Latvian Ev. Luth. Church
• Anita Kuprisa and Richard Douglas

How efficient is TILTS?

The charitable organizations of America continually bombard us with requests for contributions. But they do not spend all their money on their charitable work. Some of them spend most of the money they collect on administration and fundraising, paying high salaries to their executives. The charities can be considered efficient if 80%-90% of the funds are spent on the claimed charitable activities, with only 10%-20% on administration and fundraising.

The TILTS financial overview above provides insight into the efficiency of TILTS’ activities: TILTS took in $50,264 in 2019, and spent $4,361 on administration and fund-raising, or 8.7%. In reality, the amount as a percentage of income is even lower as tour revenues do not pass through TILTS — rather, by prior agreement the tour organizers pay a portion of honoraria and travel expenses directly to the artists without those payments passing through TILTS.

No TILTS board member receives any remuneration for their work on behalf of TILTS.

In gratitude, the Latvian Cultural Association TILTS 2020 board:

Mārtiņš Andersons Dace Aperāne Gundars Aperāns Juris Baidiņš Anita Bataraga Pauls Berkolds Valdis Bērziņš Jānis Cigusis Anda Cook Pēteris Dajevskis Ints Dzelzgalvis Ingrīda Erdmane

Iveta Grava Astrīda Jansone Sandra Zeidenberga Jansons Amanda Jātniece Benita Jaundāldere Līga Jēkabsone Tija Kārklis Ārija Kats Irīna Kats Anna Ķepe Dace Ķezbere

Brigita Klauss Laris Krēsliņš Matīss Kukainis Māris Kukainis Aina Laķis Anita Liepiņa Māra Linde Laila Medne Maija Medne Jānis Melgalvis Ilmārs Mežs Andris Padegs

Māra Pelēce Ilze Pētersone Zinta Pone Ināra Reine Laila Robiņa Gunta Semba Ruta Strobele Jānis Students Normunds Vīksne Marcis Voldiņš

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This overview is available as a PDF file (in Latvian) here.

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