On April 24, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra invites listeners to the concert hall "Lielais dzintars" to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the living classic of Latvian music, Pēteris Vasks, with a special festive program.
Pēteris Vasks is one of Europe’s most notable composers of academic music from the late 20th century. Vasks is a multiple recipient of the Grand Music Award, including in 2025—for lifetime achievement.
In this anniversary concert, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra invites you to take a look at Vasks' creative path – from the experimental energy of the 1970s to the spiritual meditation of the 21st century.
Alongside the monumental symphonic work "Lauda", one of his most beautiful compositions will be performed - a fantasy for violin and strings "Vox amoris", in which violinist Līga Baltābola will play a message of love and hope.
This evening, the orchestra's artistic director Guntis Kuzma will take the conductor's stand, and his clarinet solo, in turn, will be heard in the composition "Moments musicaux".
The concert will be made even more spectacular by the performance of the orchestra's wind quintet. Flutist Egija Sproģe, oboist Martiņš Zālīte, clarinetist Kārlis Catlaks, bassoonist Artis Zēns and horn player Edgars Ruģelis will perform Vasks' "Music for the Birds That Have Fleed".
Over the course of his creative life, he has transformed from an avant-garde, rebellious young author speaking the language of modernist music into a grand painter of the eternal struggle between good and evil, using the principles of so-called “new simplicity” and a universally understandable musical expression.
Vasks’s music speaks of fundamental matters—it is the struggle of light against darkness, reflections of nature in music, echoes of birdsong admired by the composer, moments of catharsis, and the destinies of our nation and all humanity, marked by the past, chaos in the present, and hope for the future.
An integral part of Pēteris Vasks’s music is the use of motifs and themes characteristic of Latvian folk music—these are not direct quotations, but sound combinations found in some genetic source, which immediately evoke a sense of belonging in those familiar with Latvian folk music.
A significant source of inspiration for Vasks is nature—especially birdsong, the forest, starry skies, and the sea.
Tickets for the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra concerts can be purchased at “Biļešu paradīze” ticket offices.
The Concert is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, State Culture Capital Foundation and the Liepāja City.
