The State Academic Choir "Latvija" is a Latvian choral collective, founded in 1942. Since 1997, the choir's artistic director and chief conductor is Māris Sirmais The choir is a seven-time laureate of the Grand Music Prize (1998, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016) and the laureate of the 2003 Latvian Republic Cabinet of Ministers award, and in 2007 the Latvian Ministry of Culture laureate of the year. The choir has performed many times outside of Latvia, including in the most prestigious concert halls (Amsterdam Concertgebouw; Hamburg Laeiszhalle; Lucerne Concert Hall; Montreux Igor Stravinsky Hall, etc.). The choir has collaborated with the leading European orchestras - the Royal Concertgebouw Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Gustav Mahler Chamber Orchestra and other orchestras from Germany, Finland, Singapore, Israel, the USA, Estonia, Russia. The choir has also collaborated with conductors Marisa Jansson, Andri Nelson, Nemi Jervi, Pāvo Jervi, Kristian Jervi, David Zinamna, Vladimir Yurovski, Valeria Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Simon Yang, Tena Kaljusti and many others.