Regarded as the leading symphonist of his native Latvia, Jānis Ivanovs was a pupil of Vītols at the Riga Conservatory, where he himself later taught. At the heart of the work of Ivanovs are his 21 symphonies. Partly influenced by Russian compositional methods, he also makes use of Latvian thematic material. His works reflect deeper psychological and social ideas, influenced often by the circumstances of the time.

The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) is one of the valuable assets of the classical music scene in Latvia. It is a team of highly professional musicians with strong traditions, generous sound and devoted performance. The LNSO mainly focuses on 19th and 20th century orchestral masterpieces, classical and contemporary works of Latvian composers. The winner of the Grand Music Award 2018 for two outstanding performances, conductor and clarinettist Guntis Kuzma has made it his mission to expand Latvian music recordings.