Born on 27 September 1897 in
Minsk, Irma Petrovna Jaunzem was the daughter of Pēteris Jaunzems (also Pyotr Jaunsem) and Evelina Martynovna who were both Latvians. After matriculating from high school, she studied at the
Saint Petersburg Conservatory under the soprano Xenia Dorliak. She was also assisted by the Lavian composer
Jāzeps Vītols when he became aware of her Latvian origins. He introduced her to the Latvian community's choral association which inspired her interest in Latvian folk music. It was then she embarked on visits to Belarusian villages where she discovered a wealth of folk songs, one of which was the popular
Песня пастуха (The Song of the Shepherd). Thanks to her discoveries, she included Belarusian folk songs in her performances in the country's most prominent theatres, gaining the support of the Belarusian authorities and becoming a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society in 1925. ==Awards==