On 7 July, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal by the Ministry of Culture to merge two state capital companies — VSIA “Latvian National Symphony Orchestra” (LNSO) and VSIA “State Academic Choir “Latvija”” — into a new cultural capital company, “Rīgas filharmoniķi” (Riga Philharmonic).
The reorganisation is planned to be completed by 31 December this year. Within the new company, both ensembles will continue to operate as separate structural units, preserving the independence and distinctiveness of their artistic repertoire. All 207 employees will continue working in the merged organisation — neither artistic staff nor the number of positions will be reduced.
The choir’s former board member position will be transformed into an executive director role, while administrative functions — personnel management, financial planning, accounting and IT solutions — will be centralised.
Representatives of the Ministry of Culture emphasise that the aim of the merger is to reduce the number of state capital companies, improve the efficiency of resource use, ease the administrative burden and facilitate joint project planning, while preserving each ensemble’s artistic independence. The changes will be implemented within the existing state budget, and the choir’s property will be transferred to LNSO.