Pianist Reinis Zariņš, beloved by Latvian audiences, has a gift of recognizing the essence of things and expressing it into the language of beauty and truth. He brings the listeners into his special world of sound not with flashy virtuosity but with the depth of intention and versatility. This is reminiscent of composer and pianist Pēteris Plakidis who was renowned not only for the performances of his own compositions, but also for original interpretation of classical and contemporary works. Remarking on a whole era of Latvian music, we bring attention to the masterpiece of his younger years - Music for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani.
Romantic era German composer Robert Schumann also possessed a versatile talent, and his Piano Concerto is the peak of his most productive and creative years. Started before his long-awaited marriage to Clara Wieck, who was honoured to perform the opus at its premiere, this love-imbued work was finalized soon after the Schumanns' visit to Riga. Concert tour brought to our seaside metropolis also Finnish maestro Jean Sibelius whose vividly imaginative suite Pelléas et Mélisande was based on Belgian symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck's stage play. The interpret of this programme of famous travellers' music will be Latvian conductor Andris Poga, who has gathered experience in many concert halls of the world.