Gundega Smite was born in 1977 in Riga. She graduated from the Department of Composition at Jazeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, under Professor Pēteris Plakidis (Master’s degree in 2007). In the academic year of 2005–2006 she continued her education at Jean Sibelius Academy of Music with Veli-Matti Puumala. She has participated in Centre Acanthes workshops, attending master classes by Salvatore Sciarrino and Fabio Nieder (2008) and Philippe Hurel, Oskar Strasnoy, and Unsuk Chin (2011). Since 2007, she has taught as a lecturer at the Latvian Music Academy. From 2009 to 2012 she was president of the Latvian Composers’ Union. In 2012 she earned a doctoral degree in the arts from the Latvian Music Academy for her musicological research concerning the relationship between music and text in contemporary choral music. She has won numerous prizes and awards for her work; her works have been performed at prominent contemporary music festivals, such as Klangspuren, Time of Music, Baltic Sea Festival, and Sounds New, among others, as well as in public concerts worldwide.

Five Linearities for flute, bassoon, and piano examines the notion of a line, which might seem infinite, but may be broken in many parts, still retaining its wholeness, just as one may fold it in puzzling knots and spread it out in space. Also, a line can be differently coloured with various timbres on the flute, bassoon, and piano – sometimes blending in harmony, sometimes creating harsh contrasts.