Latvian and world premieres will be performed in the 30th anniversary concert cycle of the choir «Kamēr…» / Article / LSM.lv

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the youth choir “Kamēr kor”, and the choir will celebrate its anniversary at several musical events, where the audience will reveal various aspects of its activities. The cycle of vocal symphonic music “Lux aeterna” will open the Riga Dome on September 12, the choir director Madara Ambrēna informed.

The anniversary will begin on September 12 at 7 pm with a concert of vocal symphonic music “Lux aeterna” in the Riga Dome Church together with the State Chamber Orchestra “Sinfonietta Riga”. It will feature compositions by composers Pēteris Butāns and Rihards Dubras, as well as Jēkabs Jančevskis’ new work “How to Say a Song” with the words of Knut Skujenieks, which is dedicated to the choir’s anniversary and will have its world premiere this evening under the direction of conductor Aivis Greters.

There will be two concerts in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia on October 30 and 31 a cappella choral music program “Reflections of Waves”. The first part of the concert will feature a meditative program of contemporary choral music from the Baltic Sea region, rich in natural images, including several Latvian premieres. The second part will feature important compositions in the history of the choir, which were dedicated to the choir by Latvian composers such as Pēteris Vasks, Selga Mence, Ēriks Ešenvalds and Raimonds Pauls. The message of the music will be brought to life by the concert director Laura Groza in collaboration with the artist -8.

During the anniversary season, the choir “Kamēr…” will also give an annual charity concert at Christmas and solo concerts in the regions of Latvia, while the festive season will end with a concert performance at the Cēsis Art Festival next summer.

“Thinking about the thirtieth anniversary, my intention was to reveal to the listeners the various characteristics of the choir – in addition to high-quality vocal abilities, also the cooperation and stage skills that have been characteristic of it for a long time.

Thus, I continue the path taken by Māris Sirmas and Jānis Liepiņš. It was also important for me to address the composers to dedicate compositions to the choir that will enrich Latvian choral music. I am very pleased that the concerts will be an opportunity not only to meet the choir’s long-term stage partners, but also to start new collaborations, “says the choir’s artistic director and conductor Aivis Greters about the anniversary plans.

The visual identity of the choir’s anniversary is formed by the artist Paulis Liepa.

On the anniversary sign, the choir is also organizing a reception of new singers, which will take place on August 24 and 25, 2020 at the Riga State 1st Gymnasium.

A couple of crusts

The youth choir “Kamēr …” was founded in 1990 by conductor Māris Sirmais, who has also been its artistic director for a long time, but since 2018 the choir has been taken over by conductor Jānis Liepiņš from Aivis Greters. The choir “Kamēr …” is a six-time winner of the Song Festival Choir Wars, a winner of three European choral singing “Grand Prix”, as well as twice won the Grand Music Prize. The choir has collaborated with various Latvian and world composers and directors, enriching his artistic work with various productions.

The choir’s anniversary concerts are organized by the choir support association “Kamēr mūzika” and SIA “ADD projekts”, the events are supported by the Riga City Council Education, Culture and Sports Department, State Cultural Capital Foundation, Riga Municipal Association Latvian State Forests “,” Whirlpool “,” PTA “,” Antalis “and” Musica Baltica “.

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