The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) has announced its creative plans for its centenary season. In honor of the centenary, a commemorative stamp has been issued, and another concert featuring outstanding musicians has taken place.
The orchestra was founded in 1926 as the Riga Radio Symphony Orchestra and has transformed into a musical collective of national significance, which for decades has become a meeting place for outstanding conductors and soloists.
"For us, the centenary of the LNSO is not just a look into the past, it is a relentless movement through time, where the history of the orchestra, the present, and the future meet," says the orchestra's director Indra Lukina. "We have created a jubilee concert cycle as a musical journey that takes us to both the regional concert halls of Latvia and international stages, allowing us to meet outstanding artists and discover new creative opportunities for collaboration. These concerts are a tribute to our listeners and a testament that the LNSO remains a living, bold, and forward-thinking orchestra even in its centenary year."
From Cesis to France
The jubilee cycle will begin in early August in collaboration with the Cesis Art Festival, during which Richard Wagner's opera "Lohengrin" will be performed under the baton of conductor Tarmo Peltokoski. Tarmo is only 24 years old; he has spent three years as the chief conductor of the jubilee orchestra and has now gone to Europe, where he has become quite sought after. But he promised to return - and he is keeping his promise.
In addition, tours in France are planned with the State Academic Choir "Latvia," symphonic concerts, as well as the traditional LNSO festival "Dacha," which this year will take place in the Gors hall in Rezekne.
At the end of August, a concert will be held at the Riga Congress House under the direction of former long-time chief conductor of the LNSO Andris Poga (he is now the chief conductor in Stavanger, Norway), and one of the greatest violinists of our time, Frank Peter Zimmermann, will perform as a soloist. The program includes William Walton's Violin Concerto and Gustav Mahler's Seventh Symphony.
The Girl and the Patriarchs
In September, the final concert of the International Festival of Sacred Music will take place at the Dome Cathedral in collaboration with the "Latvia" choir, conducted by Maris Sirmais, featuring vocal-instrumental works by Peteris Vasks, who is the composer-in-residence of the country's main orchestra this season (he turns 80 in April, and his compositions will be performed throughout the year!).
At the Congress House, outstanding guest artists will perform with the orchestra - in particular, violinist Baiba Skride will play Sofia Gubaidulina's Third Violin Concerto.
In October, a concert will be conducted by French maestro Jean-Claude Casadesus (he is nearly 90 years old and was once the chief conductor of the Paris Opera!) featuring the guest artist of the new season, world-renowned organist Iveta Apkalna (in 1993, as a girl, she performed in Aglona before Pope John Paul II and soon left for the West).
Family Business
The jubilee celebrations will conclude on October 25 at the Congress House with a concert featuring "Elina Garanca, Karel Mark Chichon, and the LNSO." The concert program will include "Wesendonck Lieder" by Richard Wagner performed by opera diva Elina Garanca and conductor, her husband Karel Mark Chichon, while soprano Liene Kincha and the "Latvia" choir will join the artists for a powerful performance of Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony.
Meanwhile, after announcing such a rich program, a concert was held, led by conductor Olari Elts. From 2001 to 2006, he was the chief conductor of the LNSO. A quarter of a century has passed since then.
Estonia, Scotland, Tasmania...
55-year-old Olari Elts has gained wide recognition in the international music community. From 2007 to 2020, he was the principal guest conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and from 2011 to 2014, he held the same position with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2020, he has been the chief conductor of Estonia's main orchestra. From 2006 to 2011, he was also the artistic director of the Brittany Orchestra, and from 2007 to 2010, he was the principal guest conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He even managed to conduct an orchestra on the island of Tasmania in Australia!
Now Olari has come from Tallinn to conduct a concert featuring Peteris Vasks' Cello Concerto, Jean Sibelius' Fifth Symphony, and short works by Estonian composers Erki Sven-Tüür and Tea Masgreva.
Before that, he posed in the foyer of the Congress House against a visualization photo showing how the Congress House is expected to look in four years, in 2030, when a modern acoustic concert hall will be built there.
Here Will Be a Garden City
The construction of such a hall has been discussed for three decades, and now the matter has moved off dead center.
Interestingly, it is commonly believed that Estonia and its seemingly leisurely inhabitants surpass our country in most parameters. But as Mr. Elts said, they also do not yet have a modern concert hall; the project is still in development.
In Latvia, the project already exists and has been approved, and as the poet said, "in four years, there will be a garden city here." Next year, the reconstruction of the Great Guild in Old Riga (the headquarters of the LNSO) should be completed, after which the orchestra will return there, having left the Congress House, where for three years the long-held dream of all music lovers in Latvia will be realized.
Journey with a Violin
In Peteris Vasks' Cello Concerto, Kristaps Bergs soloed, playing on a vintage instrument from 1836, created by Italian master Lorenzo Ventapane. The instrument was given to the Latvian musician by sponsors after a series of loud victories at prestigious international competitions.
Kristaps has indeed conquered the largest halls in the world! Among them are New York's Carnegie Hall, Vienna's Musikverein, and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw! What could be cooler?
But Kristaps has also performed in the royal Albert Hall in London and in Suntory Hall in Tokyo...
In 2006, he enrolled at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, performed with the Vienna Philharmonic, and from 2016 to 2025, he was the concertmaster of the Philharmonic Orchestra in Brussels.
Latvia truly has something to be proud of - at least from a musical perspective.
