Rihards Zaļupe is a member of the LNSO since 2006. He teaches percussions at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA), writes music, and performs in various types of chamber ensembles. He has performed the solo with the LNSO, orchestras Sinfonietta Rīga, Rīga, Sinfonia concertante, and Vidzeme Chamber Orchestra.

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He graduated from Jāzeps Mediņš Music School in 2002 and enrolled in the JVLMA, class of Edgars Saksons, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, followed by master’s in 2008. In 2004-2005, he studied percussions with professor Carlos Tarcha at Hochschule für Musik in Cologne as part of the Socrates Erasmus programme. He studied the marimba and composition with world-renowned Keiko Abe and participated in the Katarzyna Micka international marimba workshop with K. Micka, Robert van Sice, Eric Sammut, and others. In 2006, he received the JVLMA and Hansabanka Annual Award.

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Rihards Zaļupe is a prolific composer and arranger. He is the author of numerous pieces for percussions, marimba, the piano, as well as orchestral, choral, and other works. He frequently collaborates with film directors and writes film scores. In 2019, he earned the Latvian cinema award Lielais Kristaps as Best Composer for soundtrack of the film 1906.

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In 2008, Zaļupe released his first CD Marimba Dance, earning the Annual Latvian Music Recording Award for Debut of the Year 2008. His second solo album Z Atmosfēras came out in 2016.