The classical music festival “Riga Jurmala” is over / Article

With two Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and a local conductor Andra Nelsona concerts, as well as performances by artists Mao Fujita and violinist Mark Bushkov, the International Symphony Orchestra Festival is over ”Riga Jurmala”. During the four weekends, 329 musicians from all over the world, three of the world’s most outstanding orchestras conducted by Andris Nelsons, John Eliot Gardiner and Daniel Harding, and brilliant soloists of various generations visited Riga and Jurmala, the festival organizers said. –

The festival featured 21 symphonic and chamber music concerts and was attended by more than 15,100 visitors from 30 countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Lithuania and Estonia, Norway, etc.

2021 summer season conducted by John Eliot Gardiner and with pianists Jude Van and Andrew Schiff revealed Maris Janson Festival Orchestra, featuring leading orchestral musicians from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Bavarian Orchestra of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra and the Vienna Orchestra performance and honor the memory of the notable Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons. The British vocal group “The King’s Singers”, the Icelandic pianist Vikingurs Olafsons and the baritone Matthias Gerne took part in the festival with special day and evening concerts.

The legendary Russian pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnov took part in the second weekend with a unique concert program in Riga and Jurmala and an additional concert in Liepaja (in cooperation with the festival’s supporter – Uniting History Foundation). Pianists Joav Levanon and Arkady Volodos delighted the festival visitors with day and evening concerts. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor Daniel Harding, with pianists Jefim Bronfman and prominent American soprano Rene Fleming, as well as pianists Alexander Kantorov and Daumants Liepins, continued the festival over the third weekend. At the end of the concert series, the concert was given by soprano Kristīne Opolais and pianist Agnese Egliņa.

At the end of the festival “Riga Jurmala” with two performances of Richard Wagner’s opera fragments and public standing, two grandiose concerts by the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, the famous local conductor Andris Nelsons and soloists Kristīne Gerkes, Klaus Florian Fogt and Ginter Groerbeck performance by violinist Mark Bushkov and Japanese pianist Mao Fujita.

Continuing the work on the development of the festival’s educational program “Riga Jurmala” academy, during the summer in cooperation with Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, full-time music master classes for young talents were also organized with the participation of pianist Andrās Šifs, cellist Mišs Maiskis, for soprano Rene Fleming and pianists Leif Uwe Annnesnes and Jefiman Bronfman. During the season, 104 students from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia participated in online master classes.

In addition, during the festival and in cooperation with Latvian Radio 3 “Klasika”, visitors could enjoy special musical picnics in Riga parks.

“This summer has been full of emotion and emotion. Despite the planned and unplanned changes in the festival program, we have not only been very successful and with excellent results this season, but we have created new and hopefully lasting initiatives. One of them is the newly formed Marisa Jansons Festival Orchestra, which was formed on the initiative of orchestral artists, commemorating the legendary Latvian conductor and with great respect for the work of the festival, ”said Zane Čulkstēna, Executive Director of the Riga Jūrmala Festival. “On behalf of the entire festival team, we would like to express our greatest admiration and respect to our fantastic musicians and gratitude to the supporters and visitors of the festival who allowed this wonderful and musical summer to take place!”

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