Emilis Jūlijs Melngailis (15 February 1874 – 20 December 1954) was a Latvian composer, folklorist, and a master of choral songs.
[1] He was an organizer and chief conductor of Latvian Song and Dance Festival several times.
Melngailis was born to a teacher's family in Igate, Governorate of Livonia.
He studied in Igate, Lēdurga, Rauna and Vecpiebalga church schools.
In 1901, he finished learning in Conservatory and in the following year he released his first choral song collection in "Birzēs i norās" book.
After World War II and the start of the second Soviet occupation of Latvia, E. Melngailis was awarded the Latvian SSR People's Artist Award and in 1949 he received the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.
Emīls Melngailis has collected around 220 Latvian folk songs in "Birzēs i norās" collections ("Tumša nakte, zaļa zāle", "Ozolīti, zemzarīti", "Bērīts manis kumeliņis", "Tek saulīte tecēdama", "Kas kurmīti dancināja"), as well as choral songs ("Jāņuvakars", "Senatne").