A graduate of the Riga Cathedral Choir School, he studied oboe and jazz vocals at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. He has gained widespread acclaim as a soloist, chamber musician, and actor, collaborating with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Latvian Radio Choir, Orchestra Rīga, Raimonds Pauls, and leading his own jazz quintet.
Kalniņš is the recipient of the Spēlmaņu nakts Theatre Award for his portrayal of Quasimodo in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris and has received several nominations for the Grand Latvian Music Award. In recent years, he has maintained an active concert career in Latvia and abroad, creating original concert programmes with leading Latvian musicians and continuing his successful collaboration with Raimonds Pauls. Renowned for his stylistic versatility, refined musicianship, and charismatic stage presence, he is one of Latvia’s most distinctive vocal artists.
