Abramis Yakov Abramovich (11 October 1903, Belarus – 4 September 1977, Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai), a choral conductor and pianist, honoured as a Meritorious Artist of the Latvian SSR.

Yakov Abramis was the son of Abram Abramis and the brother of Katya and Israel Abramis. Lived in Riga since 1904. As a child, Yakov Abramis studied piano, and in his youth, he developed a passion for choral conducting. Despite not holding a formal diploma in music education, he taught singing in Riga's secondary schools from 1928 to 1940.

In 1931, Yakov Abramis founded the Bialik Oratorio Choir and served as its conductor. In 1940, he led the choir of the I. Rauchwarger Gymnasium. He also performed as a piano accompanist with V. Weinberg, L. Zakhodnik, R. Ratner, M. Alexandrovich, H. Shelkan, G. Gottlieb, A. Abramis, I. Alter, M. Kusevitsky, and others.

Between 1940 and 1943, Yakov Abramis conducted ensembles and choirs at the “Lenfilm” theatre and within units of the Soviet Army. From 1943 to 1945, he served as the artistic director of the State Choir of the Kyrgyz SSR.

In 1945, Yakov Abramis returned to Riga, where he led the Pribaltiysky Military Region Ensemble and was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist of the Latvian SSR. From 1945 to 1962, he worked as the artistic director of various ensembles across the USSR. Between 1966 and 1969, he was the conductor of the Stavropol City Choir.

From 1969 onwards, he lived in Pyatigorsk. Between 1972 and 1973, he directed the choir of a military sanatorium, and from 1975, he conducted a choir of medical workers, which he had founded on his own initiative. He personally arranged choral adaptations of musical compositions for his ensembles.

Works:

Music for the Riga Jewish Theatre’s production The Empty Basket (1930s).

Literature:

SKV, p. 45

Segodnya vecherom, 1929, No. 281: Concert of the Oratorio Choir

JZ, 1937, No. 109: Oratorio Choir Concert