Latvia's Musical Ambassador in Canada's Military Band Returns Home

Nataliya Lerner, a pianist who grew up in Latvia and now serves as a sergeant in the Canadian Armed Forces Central Band, is returning to her homeland to perform. She will join her fellow musicians at a concert in Riga on August 23, celebrating the 35th anniversary of Latvia's National Guard.

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Yes, what we do as musicians, we also do at a very high professional level.

Lerner, who emigrated from Latvia with her parents in the early 1990s, has found a unique way to connect her past and present. She actively teaches her bandmates Latvian phrases and shares stories about Latvia's history, effectively serving as a cultural ambassador for her native country within the Canadian military ensemble.

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When we are in uniform, we are not only responsible for ourselves, but we also represent Canada.

She recalls her upbringing in Riga, attending the Emīls Dārziņš Music School, and cherishes her connection to Latvia, expressing a fondness for speaking the Latvian language. Her family background is diverse, with a Lithuanian father and a mother of Russian and Jewish heritage. Lerner's grandfather was a survivor of the Holocaust in Latvia, a deeply personal story she carries with her.

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Latvia is always in my heart, I really like speaking Latvian.

Before joining the military band, Lerner was involved with the Latvian community in Ottawa, serving as an organist at the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Peace Church for several years. She remembers this time fondly, having heard many stories from Latvian émigrés about their wartime experiences and family tragedies. Her musical journey continued with studies in Montreal, making her return to Latvia with the Canadian band a significant and emotional occasion.

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My grandfather was also from Latvia's Jews; he was the only one from the family to survive the war.