Aija Draguns is a Sydney-based emerging composer and conductor, with a special passion for vocal music. Her compositions are often inspired by her Latvian heritage, specifically from the folk and choral genres.

Born in 1999, Aija studied piano, saxophone, and choral singing. She attended Sydney Conservatorium of Music, completing a Bachelor and Honours degrees in music composition. In 2023, Aija was selected as a one of four composers to partake in the “Words, Text, Voices, Music” program at the Conservatorium, as part of her Master of Music (Composition) research with Paul Stanhope, specializing in language in vocal music.

Aija’s vocal compositions have been programmed by The Australian Voices, Sydney Philharmonia choirs, Sydney Conservatorium choirs, National Youth Choir of Australia, Konzertprojekt, Trinitiy Grammar School choir, Coro innominata, the Australian Latvian Cultural Festival, The House that Dan Built, and Melbourne Latvian choir (Daina). Most recently, Aija premiered in Sydney Town Hall with her first orchestral piece “Lavender Paper Cranes”, performed by Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as Sydney Opera House with a new children’s opera “Max and Moritz”, performed by Musgrove Opera. In 2024, Aija will have a new opera premiered at NIDA Parade theatre, performed by students of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

She also works as an orchestral arranger, recently writing for “Queen Orchestrated” and “David Bowie Orchestrated” shows, performed around Australia.

An active performer herself, Aija is a folk singer and plays the Latvian folk instrument, kokle. She regularly performs solo, duet, and ensemble performances in the ethno-pop / Latvian modern folk music genre. In 2023, Aija represented Australia in the televised Latvian diaspora concert in Rīga Latvia, singing her work “Gula Meitīna” (Sleeping girl) with Sydney singer Selga Tuktēns. Aija also sings in Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Vox, where she has had the opportunity to both sing and conduct her compositions, with the guidance of conductor Elizabeth Scott.

As well as composing and performing, Aija is an orchestral and choral conductor, recently awarded the ‘Create NSW conducting fellowship for 2022-23’ with Sydney Youth Orchestras. She has trained at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Elizabeth Scott, John Lynch, and George Ellis. She also completed a fellowship with Sam Weller and Ensemble Apex, and recently premiered her first full orchestral program with Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023.

As well as working with community orchestras, Aija regularly conducts community choirs around Sydney and Melbourne, including the Sydney Latvian Male Choir: the longest running diaspora Latvian male choir in the world. In 2024, Aija will begin working with Leichhardt Espresso Chorus. For various years, Aija has also worked under Paul Stanhope, assisting with the Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Choir.

In 2023, Aija was the fifth recipient of the Andris Ritmanis Creative Future Memorial Fund award from the PBLA Kultūras fonds un Padome (The Cultural Foundation and Council of the World Association of Free Latvians): a prize awarded to diaspora Latvian musicians and poets, in support of future creativity. Aija is the second Australian to receive this award.

To Aija, composing and conducting go hand-in-hand, providing unique insight into each artform, which she hopes to share with her players, singers, and audiences.