Andris Poga

Andris Poga (born 29 June 1980,[1] in Riga) is a Latvian orchestral conductor.

Poga is graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he studied trumpet and conducting. He also studied conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and philosophy at the University of Latvia.

From 2007 to 2010, Poga was artistic director and principal conductor of the Professional Symphonic Band Rīga. Poga received the Grand Music Award in 2007 in the category Debut of the Year for his concert with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.

In 2010, Poga won first prize in the second Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition in Montpellier, France. From 2011 to 2014, Poga was assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi at Orchestre de Paris. From 2012 to 2014, he was assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.[2]

He has performed with many international orchestras such as Munich Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Wiener Symphoniker, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Oslo Philharmonic among others.

Poga became music director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra with the 2013-2014 season. In June 2019, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Poga as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2021-2022 season,[3] with an initial contract of 3 seasons.[1]

He has made commercial recordings for such labels as Odradek Records, Skani and Myrios Classics.