Vestards Šimkus, piano

Sinfonietta Rīga

Conductor Normunds Šnē

 

Programme:

Edgars Mākens "Music for a large ensemble" (Premiere)

Santa Bušs Work for a large ensemble (Premiere)

Armands Skuķis “acis' ” for chamber orchestra (Premiere)

Asia Ahmetjanova “Après le chant” for chamber orchestra (Premiere in Latvia)

Ilona Breģe Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 3 (Premiere)

 

Featuring numerous premieres and musical surprises, the beginning of May will mark the annual festival “Latvian New Music Days” organized by the Latvian Composers’ Union. The main topic of this year’s festival is Encore, “one more” in French.

 

After a composition or a concert the audience may shout Encore!, asking musicians to return to the stage one more time to repeat a part of their performance or play something extra. This opportunity to prolong joy from listening to the music brings performers even closer to the audience – this is a moment both sides are happy to enjoy once again.

 

Most of the music in Europe and Latvia nowadays gets performed only once – many amazing compositions are put aside after their premieres. Even though the Latvian New Music Days program features more than ten Latvian and world premieres, the festival organizers chose Encore! philosophy this year to emphasize the fact that the Latvian contemporary music deserves to be performed and heard way more than just once.

 

The concert will feature three premieres for the large ensemble, composed by Edgars Mākens, Santa Bušs and Armands Skuķis, as well as “Après le chant”, premiere of Asia Ahmetjanova, Latvian composer residing in Switzerland. The final cut of the festival – 3rd Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, a premiere by Ilona Breģe with Vestards Šimkus on the piano.