ARENA is a contemporary music festival held in concert halls of Latvia every autumn since 2002 to call together composers, performing artists and audience from many countries of the world. The motto of the festival HEAR THE FUTURE! reflects its main idea and objective – to present the diversity of contemporary music in all its magnificence thus encouraging creation of new music, its performance and recording.
No doubt, ARENA is one of the most innovative culture events in Latvia without which regular and logical development of contemporary music culture in Latvia would be unthinkable. The authors of the ARENA idea are Pēteris Vasks, composer, Baiba Kurpniece, musicologist, Normunds Šnē, oboist and conductor, Sigvards Kļava and Kaspars Putniņš, conductors of the Riga Radio Choir, Andris Dzenītis, composer, and Guntars Ķirsis, director of Latvijas Koncerti.
Numerous first performances of Latvian music within ARENA programs have been truly inspiring for the growth of performing artists in Latvia, which in its turn has enabled cooperation with the most outspoken in the world composers and musicians on top-professional level. The previous festivals hosted a number of outstanding musicians as distinguished guests – Arvo Pärt, Joe Zawinul, Heinz Holliger, Gavin Bryars, György Ligeti, Mauricio Kagel, Steve Reich, Magnus Lindberg and others.
Programme:
KALEIDOSCOPE IN RIGA. OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL
November 08 19:00 Great Guild
Ensemble BIT 20 (Norway), artistic director Alwynne Pritchard, Vinko Globokar (France), Rolf Gupta (Norway)
IN LOVE WITH LIBERTY
November 09 18:30 Riga Reformation Church
Heloise Ph. Palmer (UK/Germany)
PĒTERIS VASKS & MUSIQUES NOUVELLES. CORDES INTIMES
November 09 20:00 Riga Reformation Church
Ensemble MUSIQUES NOUVELLES (Belgium), conductor Jean-Paul Dessy
PRIMA LUCE. LISBON GUITAR QUARTET
November 10 19:00 Kalnciema Quarter, Riga
November 12 17:00 Hotel Promenade Huecke's Hall, Liepaja
Lisbon Guitar Quartet
Children opera KIRANA
November 12 17:00 Riga Latvian Society House, Great Hall
Ruben Zahra (Malta), Agris Daņiļevičs, Mārtiņš Miļevskis, Tricia Dawn Williams, Martin Bonnici, Matthew Pandolfino, Christopher Gatt, dance group Dzirnas and students from music and art schools of Latvia
CLUB NIGHT. CLOSING OF THE FESTIVAL
November 12 20:00 Nemiers music club, Riga
DJ Toms Auniņš & Platons Buravickis
tickets and more
