Juris Svenne's Personal Page

My hobby is mainly in music, specifically singing. I have been singing since childhood, at home, in school choirs, church choirs, and large oratorio choirs, but most recently in opera. I was given an opportunity to join the Manitoba Opera Chorus in 1975. The first experience of that was so satisfying that I have not looked back since. By now, I have participated in over 60 productions of the M.O.A.

I have retained fluency in my mother tongue, Latvian, and my second language, Danish (refreshed during two years as a post-doc at Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute). From courses in high school, my interest in Italian opera, and numerous trips to Europe for research collaboration or conferences, I have developed an modest mastery of French, German and Italian.

My main recreational activities are swimming and long-distance running. I have run 6 full marathons, 3 Manitoba Marathons, and 3 Twin-City Marathons, in Minneapolis-St. Paul. I also bicycle, but that is mainly for transportation, not recreation.