Since then, Poga’s career has only continued its brilliant upward trajectory.  He obtained his first Music Directorship (of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra) in 2013 – a position he still holds to this day.  Throughout his tenure the LNSO, Poga has been praised for his unique ability to reveal the piercing truth of music – a skill he displays with outstanding technical prowess and artistic finesse in concerts that completely absorb audiences, drawing them deep into a fiery and expansive sound world rarely heard in the 21^st century.

As well as possessing an diverse and extensive repertoire, Poga is a passionate champion of the music of his homeland.  To that end, with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra he has committed to record an impressive number of works by underrepresented Latvian composers, such as Volfgangs Dārziņš, Jānis Ivanovs, Juris Karlsons (Skani), and Tlivaldis eni (Ondine) – all to exceptional critical acclaim.

In addition to his position with the LNSO, in 2019 Poga was announced as Chief Conductor Designate of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Norway.  He is due to take on the role of Chief Conductor at the start of the 2021/2022 season, for an initial three-year term.

As a guest conductor, Poga works regularly with the leading orchestras of Europe – including Danish National Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Turin, Orchestre National de France, Oslo Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra – and also leads extensive touring  projects, such as with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France and Evgeny Kissin.  In the Far East, his star is also rising swiftly, with recent and forthcoming highlights including visits to such orchestras as the Hong Kong Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Shanghai Symphony, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Additionally, Poga enjoys a particularly strong profile in the Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  Amongst the many orchestras with whom he enjoys an ongoing relationship in these territories are the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Dresdner Philharmonie, Gewandhaus-Orchester Leipzig, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester Hamburg, SWR Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, and the Wiener Symphoniker.

Born in Riga in 1980, Poga studied the trumpet and conducting at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.  He went on to undertake postgraduate studies in conducting at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, and a degree in Philosophy from the University of Latvia.

When not travelling, Andris Poga spends his time at home in Riga, Latvia.