Jānis Stafeckis

Jānis Stafeckis is a Latvian conductor with a broad artistic profile spanning the Classical and Romantic repertoire, opera, and the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. A committed advocate of contemporary music, he has premiered numerous works by Latvian composers, combining stylistic awareness with structural clarity, precision and a strong sense of orchestral colour.

Since 2022, Stafeckis has worked closely with Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski. Their collaboration has included Wagner’s Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, as well as Parsifal at the Cēsis Art Festival, alongside large-scale symphonic repertoire and international orchestral projects.

Stafeckis has a long-standing relationship with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as guest conductor with ensembles including Sinfonietta Rīga, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Rīga. His projects have brought him together with leading Latvian artists such as organist Iveta Apkalna and composer Raimonds Pauls.

An important part of his artistic work is devoted to children and young audiences. He develops and leads educational concert programmes designed to introduce symphonic music in an engaging and imaginative way while maintaining high artistic standards.

Before focusing fully on conducting, Stafeckis spent 15 years as Principal Double Bass of Sinfonietta Rīga, performing extensively across Europe. This background strongly informs his collaborative approach on the podium, with practical understanding of orchestral playing and close attention to ensemble balance and sound.

He holds a Master’s degree in symphonic conducting from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.