At the closing concert of the “Baltic Symphonic Festival”, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra will give the premiere of Arturs Maskats’ new work “Baltic Song” for soloists, choir and orchestra. Joining the State Choir “Latvija” and the LNSO under Andris Poga are outstanding soloists – the Lithuanian opera star Vida Miknevičiūtė, in demand throughout Europe, the striking Estonian ethno-musician Mari Kalkun and one of the finest tenors in the world today, Aleksandrs Antoņenko.
Marking a milestone birthday, the composer Arturs Maskats (1957) has written the oratorio “Baltic Song” to texts by the Latvian poets Vizma Belševica and Ojārs Vācietis, the Lithuanian poet Sigitas Geda and the Estonian poet Paul-Eerik Rummo. The theme of the oratorio is the sea as a realm of waves, colours, longing and defiance.
Vida Miknevičiūtėhas been a member of the Mainz State Theatre ensemble since 2011 and is a sought-after guest soloist in productions elsewhere in Europe. A prizewinner at international competitions, she is known to Latvian audiences as a superb Marguerite (“Faust”) and Elisabeth (“Tannhäuser”).
Mari Kalkunis a traditional music singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer from southern Estonia. In 2013 she received the Estonian ethnic music award as best singer. Combining folklore texts and melodic inflections, the particularities of Estonian dialects and traditionalregilaulsinging, Kalkun’s music creates a meditative and homely atmosphere.
Winner of the Latvian Grand Music Award and the Award for Excellence,Aleksandrs Antoņenkois a regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses and works with eminent conductors. In October and November he sang Calaf and the tenor part in Verdi’s Requiem at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His plans for the coming six months include Calaf, Mario Cavaradossi and Otello at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, the Hungarian State Opera, the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Vienna State Opera, Zurich Opera and the Savonlinna Festival.
Alongside Arturs Maskats’ new work, and in tribute to Finland’s centenary, the programme includes Jean Sibelius’ popular and inspired Second Symphony, often credited with the role of a clarion call for national ideas.
The concert programme can be read here.
Vida Miknevičiūtė – soprano
Mari Kalkun – mezzo-soprano
Aleksandrs Antoņenko – tenor
State Choir “Latvija“