One of the most important goals of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) is to help foster a society that is engaged with culture and music. Experiences gained in childhood play a significant role in personal development, while adolescence is a period in which a person’s identity and self-awareness become increasingly complex and nuanced. To make a positive contribution to this process, an important strand of the LNSO’s artistic activity is dedicated to symphonic music events designed specifically for children and young people.
Alongside other music projects for young audiences, the two central pillars of this work are the children’s concert series LeNeSOns and the multimedia concert series for teenagers Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora.
Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora
Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora is a multimedia concert series with a strong educational dimension, aimed at teenagers and everyone interested in symphonic music.
For more than ten years, each season has featured three to four Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora events, introducing young audiences to major symphonic works and their composers. The musical programme is complemented by animations created especially for the concerts by Krišs Salmanis and Pauls Poikāns, the integration of other art forms, appearances by special guests, and Goran Gora’s entertaining, educational, and often witty commentary, based on texts by Jānis Joņevs.
Over the years, the concept of Symphonic Hit has expanded beyond music alone. Alongside the featured symphonic works, the creative team explores topics related to dance, cinema, artificial intelligence, and questions of the inner world and human experience.
The concert format is not only engaging but also reflects a competency-based educational approach. Through the context of a symphonic work, audiences encounter musical, historical, social, literary, and theatrical perspectives, as well as the sources of inspiration behind the creation of the music.
Creative team:
Narrator Goran Gora
Playwright Jānis Joņevs
Director Roberts Rubīns
Artist Krišs Salmanis
Animator Pauls Poikāns
Music Content Consultant Jānis Stafeckis
Useful information:
- Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora events are recommended for audiences aged 12 and above, as well as anyone wishing to take their first steps into the world of symphonic music.
- The concert is performed in one part without an interval; duration: up to 1 hour 30 minutes.
- The café at the Riga Congress Centre opens one hour before the performance (11:00 for morning concerts and 18:00 for evening concerts).
- Individual ticket prices start at €12.00. Through the cultural education programme Latvian School Bag, tickets are available for €10.00.
- A Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora subscription is available each season, offering admission to all events in the series at a reduced price (www.lnso.lv/en/calendar).
Contemporary Dance Performance In the Net
The contemporary dance production In the Net premiered at the Vasarnīca Festival in August 2022. It tells the story of how young people find it increasingly difficult to define their self-worth in an age when social media creates the impression that it is no longer enough simply to like yourself. You must also be liked by others. This pressure creates tension and fertile ground for countless insecurities.
“I post a video on social media. No one clicks ‘like’. The conclusion? Nobody likes me. What I do has no value.” The motivation to create for personal satisfaction alone begins to disappear. Creativity becomes a pursuit of external validation.
The protagonists of the performance are two teenagers seeking approval from others. They encounter a seemingly helpful benefactor who assists them in becoming popular. However, their newfound friend has selfish motives, and the pursuit of popularity leads the teenagers down a dangerous path.
Creative team:
Choreographer Liene Grava
Playwright Artūrs Dīcis
Composer Rihards Zaļupe
Artist Līga Zepa
Dancers Alise Bokaldere or Egija Abaroviča, Ģirts Bisenieks, Artūrs Nīgalis
LNSO musicians:
Mareks Pinta – clarinet
Dace Zālīte-Zilberte – cello
Evelīna Jēkabsone – keyboards
Mikus Bāliņš – percussion
Practical information:
- The performance is suitable for teenagers aged 11 to 18.
- Running time: 50 minutes.
- Please note: a nicotine-free electronic smoking device is used during the performance.
- The production was financially supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.
- The project was implemented within the cultural education programme Latvian School Bag.