French conductor Julien Masmondet returns to the LNSO podium for the concert “LNSO, Glass and Bartok”

On Friday, 31 October, at 19:00 at the Riga Congress Hall, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) invites you to the concert “LNSO, Glass and Bartok,” in which masterworks of 20th-century and contemporary symphonic music will come together under the LNSO and conductor Julien Masmondet. The programme includes Bela Bartok’s ballet suite “The Miraculous Mandarin,” contemporary French composer Camille Pepin’s opus Inlandsis, as well as Philip Glass’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, in which the soloist roles will be taken by internationally acclaimed Latvian musicians Elina Buksa and Kristaps Bergs.

French composer Camille Pepin’s work Inlandsis is the first part of a cycle of works, “Climate Trilogy,” which the author has created over recent years. In it, the artist turns to the relationship between humans and nature. Pepin’s opus will sound in Latvia for the first time, and the author has described her Inlandsis as “an icy orchestral fresco.” The work was created on commission from French Radio in 2023, and the French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra gave its premiere under conductor Mikko Franck.

The central axis of the concert will be American composer Philip Glass’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, one of his best-known works, originally created as music for the ballet “Swan Song.” This is an unusual opus in which Glass abandons the traditional contrast between soloist and orchestra characteristic of the concerto genre, yet the two solo instruments – violin and cello – still represent expressive central characters here as well. In the performance of the double concerto on 31 October, audiences will be able to enjoy solos by violinist Elina Buksa and cellist Kristaps Bergs.

The concert will close with Bela Bartok’s work “The Miraculous Mandarin” – a magnificent score for a ballet-pantomime whose scandalous plot once thoroughly shocked audiences. This opus is considered one of the pinnacles of 20th-century instrumental music, rarely heard in Latvian concert halls, and its performance will be a special event in the orchestra’s 100th season.

On 31 October, conductor Julien Masmondet will once again share the stage with the LNSO. He represents the French conducting community with extensive international concert activity. One of his teachers, conductor Paavo Jarvi, has described Julien Masmondet as a diligent artist with great intellect and expressive musicality. For three seasons Masmondet worked as Paavo Jarvi’s assistant at the Orchestre de Paris, which became an important foundation for his professional development. As a guest conductor, Julien Masmondet has collaborated with many of Europe’s leading orchestras, including the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Orchestre National de Lille, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. In 2012 the Orchestre de Paris chose him as conductor for the Radio Classique festival. Masmondet has taken to the LNSO podium several times before, the first time nearly ten years ago – in 2016 – when the conductor shared the stage with the outstanding Latvian accordionist Ksenija Sidorova at the Cesis Concert Hall.

Violinist Elina Buksa is one of the most striking Latvian string musicians. She performs actively both in Latvia and abroad, plays in various chamber ensembles, takes part in festivals and collaborates with outstanding orchestras. The musician combines technical virtuosity with expressive musicality, placing particular emphasis on nuances of interpretation in both contemporary and classical repertoire. Cellist Kristaps Bergs is likewise active both as a soloist and in various chamber music ensembles, including Trio Fabel together with clarinettist Anna Gagane and pianist Linda Leine. He has proven himself as an artist who pays attention to the finest musical nuances and is able to create a refined dialogue with the orchestra and partners on stage.

The concert takes place with the support of the French Institute in Latvia. Tickets for symphonic concerts at the Riga Congress Hall are also available for balcony seating. Tickets for all LNSO concerts are available at Bilesu Paradize outlets and at bilesuparadize.lv.