Krists Auznieks is a Latvian composer whose work centers on opera and music theatre, developing large-scale works that integrate musical structure, text, and stage into unified dramatic forms.

Krists Auznieks (b. 1992, Riga) is working across opera, music theatre, and concert music. His work is characterized by a precise approach to musical form combined with a strong sense of theatrical construction, often developed in close collaboration with directors, performers, and interdisciplinary teams.

His music has been presented at leading international venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Southbank Centre, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, and the Royal Danish Theatre, and at festivals such as Aspen, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Prague Quadrennial, the Baltic Sea Festival, and ISCM World New Music Days.

Auznieks has developed a substantial body of theatre work. NeoArctic (Hotel Pro Forma / Latvian Radio Choir) received the Danish Reumert Award and toured extensively across Europe, North America, and Asia. Other projects include Phaedra in vlammen (Het Nationale Theater) and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Dailes Theatre). His upcoming opera Rosa Alchemica will premiere at the Latvian National Opera in 2027, followed by As Below, So Above, a new work for the Riga Wagner Theatre.

His concert music has been commissioned and performed by organizations including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Bang on a Can, Kremerata Baltica, Cappella Amsterdam, the Latvian Radio Choir, and Sinfonietta Rīga.

Among his honors are the Latvian Grand Music Award, the International Rostrum of Composers Prize, the Danish Reumert Award, and the Jacob Druckman Prize. He has held residencies at Civitella Ranieri, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, and the Cité internationale des arts.

Auznieks studied at the Yale School of Music and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and is currently Associate Professor and Head of Composition at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. His works are published by Donemus.