Brass Band Days to Be Held in Riga

On November 8 and 9, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music will host Brass Band Days - a large-scale event combining masterclasses, concerts, and premieres of new works. This was reported to the LETA agency by the representative of the Latvian National Centre for Culture, Lana Kazlauskene.

For two days, both young and experienced conductors from Latvia and other countries will take the stage. Traditionally, there will be a concert of premieres of Latvian music for brass bands. The organizers of the event are the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and the National Centre for Culture.

On November 8, from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM, there will be conducting masterclasses for students of music secondary schools in the Great Hall of the academy. They will be conducted by invited professors - Courtney Snyder (USA), Sandro Satanasi (Italy), and Arild Andersen (Norway). The practical part will involve the brass band of the University of Latvia.

On the same day at 3:00 PM, the concert "Conducting Young. Latvia" will begin, featuring students and master's degree students from the academy, students from music schools, as well as foreign guest maestros. The "Intermezzo" orchestra of the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga 1st Music School and the brass band of the University of Latvia will perform. At 6:30 PM, the concert "Conducting Young. Estonia" will feature the brass band of the Estonian Academy of Conducting.

On November 9, the program will continue with masterclasses by foreign conductors from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. At 2:00 PM in the Great Hall of the academy, there will be a concert of premieres of Latvian music for brass bands - new works, arrangements, and adaptations. The project is initiated by the Latvian National Centre for Culture to enrich the repertoire of Latvian brass bands and prepare for the Song and Dance Festival in 2028.

The concert will feature works by Aivars Cepišs, Aleksandrs Jašukēvičs, Raitis Rerihs, Laura Leontjeva, Marģers Mikelsone, Davids Baložs, and other composers. They will be performed by the youth brass band "Auseklītis", the "Fanfara" orchestra, and a specially created orchestra of conductors of brass ensembles in Latvia. Conducting will be Jānis Puriņš, Haralds Barzdinš, Marģers Mikelsone, Guntis Kumachevs, and Viesturs Galeniks. Soloists Paula Osemljaka and Gundega Mara Grutupa will also participate in the concert.

Conductors of brass bands are invited to the concert of premieres - they will be offered to evaluate new compositions and express their opinions on the possibility of including these works in the repertoire, as well as discuss the publication of sheet music in printed form.

The festival promises to be a significant event in the musical life of Latvia, strengthening the connections between generations of conductors and opening new horizons for Latvian brass music.