New music festival "Arena" has been held in concert halls of Latvia every autumn since 2002 to bring 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. This 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.
Programme
Festival opening concert. PĒTERIS VASKS QUARTET
Tuesday, 27 October, 7.00 pm at the Riga Reformed Church
Performers: Pēteris Vask Quartet: Magdalēna Geka (violin), Egīls Šēfers (clarinet), Kristaps Bergs (cello), Iveta Cālīte (piano)
Programme: Olivier Messiaen, Arvo Pärt, Pēteris Vask
PREVIEWS
Thursday, 29 October, 7.00 pm at the Riga Reformed Church
Performers: Helēna Sorokina (voice), Krasimirs Sterevs | Krassimir Sterev (accordion, Bulgaria), Marko Sala | Marco Sala (clarinet, contrabass clarinet, Italy/Austria)
Programme: Giacinto Scelsi, Beat Furrer, Chaya Czernowin, Rebecca Saunders, Samir Odeh-Tamimi and Klaus Lang, as well as new works by Santa Bušs
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
Sunday, 1 November, 6.00 pm at the Riga Reformed Church
Featuring: Woodpecker Project: Andris Dzenītis, Gatis Zaķis, Ritvars Garoza (electronics), Arvīds Kazlausks (saxophones) and JVLMA students
Programme: Compositions by the Woodpecker Project and students from the JVLMA Composition Department
CONVERSATIONS WITH FELDMAN
Thursday, 5 November, 7.00 pm at the Riga Reformed Church
Featuring: Andrzej Karałow (piano), Kaspars Kurdeko (percussion)
Programme: Morton Feldman, improvisations by Andrzej Karałow and Kaspars Kurdeko
THE KIDNAPPING OF EUROPE. An electroacoustic chamber opera by Gundega Šmite and Dimitris Maronidis
Friday, 13 November, 7.00 pm at the Hanza Platform
Programme: Premiere of the chamber opera by Gundega Šmite and Dimitris Maronidis
Featuring: Ensemble EUNOIA, Katrīna Neiburga (set design), Oskars Pauliņš (lighting)