The award-winning Latvian youth choir Balsis, directed by Agita Ikauniece and Ints Teterovskis, is set to perform nine concerts in 10 days as it tours France, Germany and Switzerland from Sept. 6-15.

Formed in 1989, the choir has performed 1,189 concert in 17 countries, according to the choir’s manager, Sanda Katkeviča.

On this tour, concerts are scheduled Sept. 6 in Nordstemmen, Germany; Sept. 8 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Urrugne, both in France; Sept. 10 in Ascona, Switzerland; Sept. 12 in Zurich, Switzerland; Sept. 13 in Zumikon, Switzerland, and Sept. 15 in Passau, Germany.

The concert program includes compositions by Javier Busto, Emils Dārziņš, Vytautis Miskinis, Arvo Pärt, Uģis Prauliņš, Joseph Reinberger, Urmas Sisask, John Taverner and Eric Whitacre, as well as arrangements of Latvian folk songs.

For further information about the choir, visit www.balsis.lv.

Canada’s new ambassador to Latvia, Claire A. Poulin, has presented her credentials to President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, the president’s press office has announced.

Poulin replaces Robert Andrigo, who served as ambassador since 2002.

Poulin most recently worked in the Parliament of Canada as director general of International and Interparliamentary Affairs and as chief of protocol, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Educated at the Université de Provence in French literature and civilization, Poulin’s early career took her to the Dominican Republic and Tunisia. She joined the foreign affairs department in 1991 and has worked in Argentina and France.

Canada opened its embassy in Rīga in 1993. The embassy also serves Canada’s interests in Estonia and Lithuania.

Dermot Desmond, the Irish millionaire whose investments include the Celtic Football Club in Scotland and London City Airport in England, has acquired just under a third interest in Rietumu Banka, Latvia’s fourth-largest financial institution.

Desmond also will join an expanded board of directors, Rietumu Banka announced Aug. 29.

“The bank has a tremendous track record and we share a common vision for the future development of the bank: to be the leading corporate and wealth management bank in the Baltic region and CIS,” Desmond said in a statement released by the bank. “I am impressed by Latvia’s rapid pace of development and by its emergence as a financial centre for the region.”

The investor has acquired a total of 33.1 percent of the bank’s shares by purchasing shares from other investors and from a recent bank offering.

Rietumu Banka was founded in 1992 by American investor Tony Levin, at the time vice president of the Diners Club company. Rietumu merged with Saules Banka in 2001.

The bank at the end of June was ranked fourth in Latvia, with total assets of nearly LVL 708 million.