In anticipation of Christmas, the majestic vaults of Riga Cathedral will resound with the most heartfelt and eagerly awaited musical event of the year - world-renowned opera diva Inese Galante's "Christmas Prelude". For the thirteenth year in a row, outstanding artists will gather on stage on this day to give listeners the special magic of Christmas. The concert has become one of Latvia's brightest pre-Christmas traditions and an integral part of Riga's identity.
The concert will feature the brilliant countertenor and baroque music interpreter Sergejs Jēgers, composer and the outstanding organist Aivars Kalējs, tenor Artjoms Safronovs, a soloist with the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, soprano Elizabete Laura Porgante, pianists Andrejs Osokins and Aleksandrs Kalējs, and young virtuoso pianist Gustavs Kalējs, among others. Alongside these celebrated artists, emerging talents – winners of the Inese Galante’s Talants competition – will also take to the stage.
As always, the musical programme will bring together works by outstanding composers, giving each performer the opportunity to showcase their distinctive artistic voice. The majestic sound of the Riga Cathedral organ, vocal masterpieces performed by acclaimed soloists, choral music and performances by young talents will weave together an enchanting musical journey into the magic of Christmas, with every voice and instrument contributing to a single festive story.
The concert will once again feature much-loved works that have become an integral part of Christmas Preludes. Inese Galante will perform the moving Ave Maria, while the boys’ choir of Jāzeps Mediņš Riga 1st Music School, conducted by Romāns Vanags, will delight audiences with the timeless Christmas carol Silent Night, Holy Night.
On this festive evening, the interior of the Dome Cathedral will be transformed by dynamic light installations that will blend organically with the musical program.