Draft:Larisa Puzule

• Comment: Please note the awards are NOT notable. Theroadislong (talk) 15:10, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: Sources 1, 3 & 4 are just links to website roots, not actual sources for the claims. KylieTastic (talk) 15:05, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: Unsourced KylieTastic (talk) 13:11, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

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Larisa Grigoryevna Puzule (Dyshel) (February 1, 1941 – February 5, 2017) was a Moldovan-born Latvian percussionist and educator. She was the first professional female percussionist in Latvian history and made significant contributions to music performance and education.

Early life

Larisa Dyshel was born on February 1, 1941, in Bălți, Moldavian SSR, into a family of a judge and a postal worker. Her father, Grigory Agafonovich Dyshel, served as a judge, while her mother, Anna Ivanovna Savitskaya, managed postal departments in Odesa, with roots in both Polish and Greek ancestry. During World War II, her mother evacuated the family to Odesa, and after the war, they relocated to Riga, Latvia.

Introduction to music

Larisa's first exposure to music came from her mother's participation in church choirs and listening to opera records at home. She showed an early interest in ballet and studied at the Riga Officer's House under the instruction of Nina Konstantinovna Kestler. However, due to health concerns, she switched her focus to percussion, joining a xylophone class at the Riga Pioneer Palace in 1957, under the guidance of Pēteris Šāveis. Her rapid progress earned her a role as a freelance soloist at the Latvian State Philharmonic by 1958.

Education and career

Larisa studied percussion at the Jāzepa Mediņa Music School and later at the Latvian State Conservatory, where she graduated with honors in 1968, becoming the first female professional percussionist in Latvia. During her studies, she performed with the Latvian National Opera and later joined the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra in 1971. She was one of the few women in the orchestra, having been personally convinced to join by conductor Leonid Vigner.

Teaching career

In 1982, Larisa transitioned to teaching at the Jāzepa Mediņa Music School. She became a respected educator, mentoring many prominent Latvian percussionists, such as Ivars Kalniņš and Ernests Mediņš. She authored instructional materials, including Etīdes mazajām bungām (Etudes for Snare Drums), which became a core part of percussion studies in Latvia.

Personal life and legacy

Larisa Puzule also had a deep passion for *frivolité* (lace-making), and her works were admired internationally. She passed away on February 5, 2017, leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer for female musicians and a highly regarded educator.

Illustrator Gail de Marcken used Larisa Puzule as the model for the ‘Quiltmaker’ character in Jeff Brumbeau’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift.”

Awards and recognition

Larisa received several notable awards during her career:

• The Riga City Council's "Baltais Zvirbulis" award in 2004 for her contributions to Latvian culture.
• The Recognition Award in 2011 for her contributions to music.