He graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he studied composition with Ģederts Ramans and Pēteris Plakidis, and orchestral conducting with Professor Viesturs Gailis. He furthered his studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and later earned a Doctor of Arts degree from the Latvian Academy of Culture.
Alongside his distinguished career as a composer, Vecumnieks is an active conductor of symphony and chamber orchestras. He is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the chamber orchestra Sinfonia Concertante. He has collaborated extensively with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Rīga, and numerous other ensembles in Latvia and abroad. His repertoire spans the classical canon as well as twentieth- and twenty-first-century music, with a particular dedication to the performance and promotion of works by Latvian composers.
An equally distinguished educator, Vecumnieks is Professor and Head of the Orchestral Conducting Department at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and serves as Visiting Professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture. He regularly gives masterclasses and lectures internationally and has played a major role in educating a new generation of conductors. He is also actively involved in Latvia’s musical life as a jury member for international competitions, a cultural expert, and a leader of professional arts organisations.
