Iveta Apkalna

is considered one of the world’s leading instrumentalists. Since 2017 she has served as the titular organist of the Klais organ at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg an took part in the opening of the new concert hall. Since her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Claudio Abbado in 2007, Apkalna has performed with a number of the world’s top orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Roma and has collaborated with renowned conductors such as the late Mariss Jansons, Marek Janowski, Kent Nagano, Thomas Hengelbrock, Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Antonio Pappano and Andris Nelsons.

Iveta Apkalna regulary performs at renowned festivals and in Europe’s, North America’s and China’s most renowned concert venues. As an internationally sought-after organist, she is regularly invited to inaugurate new concert organs all over the world – in the Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg, where she has been Artist in Residence since 2019, she was also involved in the development of the instrument completed in 2017 by the Berlin organ builders Karl Schuke and Johannes Klais Orgelbau from Bonn.

A highlight of the 2023-2024 season is the presentation of various concert projects featuring Iveta Apkalna as the focus artist at the Tonhalle Zurich. In addition to solo recitals, she will also perform in a chamber music concert and participate in the performance of Francis Poulenc's Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani under the baton of Paavo Järvi. In the final year of her residency at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Iveta Apkalna will showcase the Jehmlich organ in solo programs, a trio program and Bernd Richard Deutsch's »Okeanos« together with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
Additionally, the premiere of Péter Eötvös's work "Echo" with trumpet player Gábor Boldoczki will take place at the Kölner Philharmonie. Further appearances take her to Budapest, Essen, Hamburg, Zagreb, Aalborg and Brussels. She will collaborate with the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Orchestre National de France and the Enthusiastenorchester. Invitations will take her to music festivals such the Bremen Music Festival, the Hohenloher Kultursommer, the Heidelberger Frühling and the Prague Spring Festival.

Throughout her career, Iveta Apkalna has earned international recognition for honours and competitions. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia in 2018, she was awarded the »Order of Three Stars the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. Furthermore, she was appointed cultural ambassador of Latvia. French-German TV network ARTE broadcast in 2008 a documentary about her titled »Dancing with the Organ«. Iveta Apkalna became the first organist to receive the title of »Best Performing Artist« award at the 2005» ECHO Klassik«.

Iveta Apkalna’s most recent CD (Berlin Classics) »Oceanic« with works by Deutsch, Ravel, Sibelius and Ešenvalds was released in April 2023.

Iveta Apkalna studied piano and organ at the Latvian Academy of Music Jāzeps Vītols in Riga and continued her studies at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart. Born in Latvia, Iveta Apkalna lives with her family in Berlin and Riga.