OREANDA-NEWS. July 10, 2013. In the very midst of the week of the Song Festival, the Bank of Latvia issues a collector coin with the motto "Gaismu sauca, gaisma ausa" (We called for light and there was light), dedicated to Jazeps Vitols, a composer singing praise to the light and the founder of the professional musical education in Latvia.

It marks the Professor's 150th anniversary. The coin has been designed by Aivars Priedite and modelled by Janis Strupulis. The coin was struck by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (the Netherlands).

Before the birth of the Latvian state Jazeps Vitols (1863–1948) was a Professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory; he returned to his native land at mid-age, lay the cornerstone for professional musical education in the young Latvian state by establishing a conservatory and raised a whole generation of musicians.

There is indeed much light in Vitols's music, just to mention his solo songs (still not fully recognised) and choir songs (recognised, yet seldom performed). The paths of the light traced in his choir song Gaismas pils (Castle of Light) (1900) are, by all means, one of the most powerful symbols of the Latvian Song Festivals. It is always sung by the great joint mixed choir of the Festival and has also been conducted by Jazeps Vitols himself.

Jazeps Vitols's portrait in profile is featured on the obverse of the coin. The inscription JAZEPS VITOLS is semi-circled on the left, the digit 1 on top of the inscription LATS is on the right, and Jazeps Vitols's facsimile signature is at the lower part of the obverse. The lower part of the reverse features five horizontal parallel lines, from which rays of light are spreading out like an arc, with a semi-circled inscription GAISMU SAUCA, GAISMA AUSA (We called for light and there was light) at the top, and the year 2013 at the bottom.

The collector coin "Jazeps Vitols" is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia. The maximum mintage of the coin is limited to 3 000. The coin will be on sale at the Bank of Latvia (the Cashier's Offices at K. Valdemara iela 1B in Riga) and such traditional points of coin sale as banks and souvenir and jewellery shops. The price of the coin at the Bank of Latvia's Cashier's Offices is 28.86 lats.