Latvian Radio Choir is a professional choir of 24 singers founded in Riga in 1940 by conductor Teodors Kalniņš. Originally operating under Latvian Radio, the choir became part of the concert organization Latvijas Koncerti in 2010, with its home at Spīķeri Concert Hall. Since 2024, its artistic director has been conductor Kaspars Putniņš, while Sigvards Kļava also continues to be associated with the choir as a conductor. The choir has undergone several changes throughout its history. It was dissolved in 1953 as part of a broader effort to eliminate radio choirs in the Baltic republics, but its activities were restored in 1957. Kalniņš led the choir until 1962, followed by Edgars Račevskis, Juris Kļaviņš, and Kļava, who served as artistic director and principal conductor from 1992 to 2023. Their repertoire spans music from the Renaissance to contemporary works, with a particular emphasis on Latvian and Baltic composers. It has premiered and recorded works by composers including Pēteris Vasks and Maija Einfelde. Its recordings have received international recognition, including a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance for Arvo Pärt's Adam's Lament, which featured the choir, and an International Classical Music Award in 2020. In 2023, the choir received a Gramophone Award for its recording John Cage: Choral Works. The choir has also received Latvia's Grand Music Award seven times, reflecting its significant contribution to the country's professional choral tradition and international classical music scene.
