The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) has concluded an outstanding and eventful 100th season, inaugurating its concert activities at the Riga Congress Hall, soon to be transformed into the Riga Philharmonic. The Great Hall offers seating for 917 audience members, and both the opening and closing concerts of the season were completely sold out. Throughout the season, the LNSO demonstrated great artistic breadth, ranging from symphonic and chamber music programmes to concerts and musical performances for children and young people. The season featured world premieres and appearances by distinguished conductors and soloists.
During the past season, the LNSO presented 33 symphonic concerts, 11 concerts for children, 8 concerts for young audiences in the Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora series, and 5 chamber music concerts, particularly notable for showcasing smaller ensembles of orchestra musicians on stage.
A significant part of the LNSO’s concerts took place at the Riga Congress Hall, offering 917 seats with excellent visibility – 248 more than at the Great Guild, the orchestra’s former home prior to the start of reconstruction works at the venue.
Attendance at the LNSO’s symphonic concerts at the Riga Congress Hall reached 83%. Taken together, these figures confirm a sustained interest among Latvian audiences and international visitors alike in regularly attending symphonic music concerts. The strong attendance rates and filled seats at the Riga Congress Hall already serve as an important indication that the Riga Philharmonic – to be built at the site of the Riga Congress Hall – is both necessary and capable of becoming an economically sustainable cultural infrastructure project.
“We have completed a highly successful LNSO centenary season! To the great delight of both musicians and audiences, we have moved to the Congress Hall, being able to fill all 917 seats available to listeners. Looking towards the future, we are gradually building a positive momentum for the Riga Philharmonic. 58 concerts at 10 different venues across Latvia and Lithuania – refined chamber music, engaging musical performances for children and young people, impressive vocal‑symphonic renderings, opera music, world premieres, and encounters with outstanding conductors and soloists. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their collaboration throughout the 100th season – we look forward to our next meeting in early August to inaugurate the centenary celebrations with a concert performance of Richard Wagner’s opera Lohengrin under the baton of Tarmo Peltokoski,” says LNSO General Manager Indra Lūkina, reflecting on the past season and the concerts ahead.
During the season, the LNSO welcomed to its podium the legendary Finnish Maestro Jorma Panula, LNSO’s Conductor Laureate Tarmo Peltokoski and Principal Guest Conductor Kristiina Poska, the orchestra’s Artistic Advisor Andris Poga, Māris Sirmais, young Latvian conductors Jānis Liepiņš and Aivis Greters, and the distinguished French Maestro Jean-Claude Casadesus. The orchestra also collaborated for the first time with the German conductor Christian Reif, the Baroque music master Jean-Christophe Spinosi, and the Italian opera conductor Michele Gamba. The season’s stellar lineup of soloists included Vineta Sareika, Marina Rebeka, Reinis Zariņš, Kristīne Blaumane, Daumants Liepiņš, Ieva Saliete, Julia Bullock, and many others.
Among the season’s most attended programmes was Mahler’s Eighth, which drew a total of 1916 listeners on 13 and 14 September at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet (the project was created in collaboration with the LNOB and the State Choir LATVIJA); Maestro Raimonds Pauls’ Anniversary Concert, attended by 1884 listeners on 22 and 23 January at the Riga Congress Hall (in collaboration with the State Choir LATVIJA and the Latvian Radio Big Band); as well as the programme LNSO, Reinis Zariņš, and Latvian Radio Choir, presented in collaboration with the Latvian Radio Choir and welcoming 916 listeners on 12 December at the Riga Congress Hall.
Latvian music also held a special place throughout the season: 30 concerts featured works by Latvian composers, with 17 concerts broadcast on Latvian Radio 3 Klasika.
During its 100th season, the LNSO performed at 10 venues across Latvia and Lithuania: the Riga Congress Hall, Cēsis Concert Hall, Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Great Amber Concert Hall, Daile Music House, Tobacco Factory, Ventspils Concert Hall Latvija, Latgale Embassy GORS, Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, and the Klaipėda Concert Hall. Audiences were also offered six different subscription options during the season, with a total of 883 subscriptions sold. Special attention was devoted throughout the season to educational and socially significant projects, several of which were implemented in collaboration with the LNSO Foundation: two LNSO dress rehearsals were attended by a total of 716 music school students from various regions of Latvia and six educational concert‑workshops were organised for children undergoing long-term treatment at the Children’s Clinical University Hospital.
