Media information, 21 December 2023.
This year, as a gift to every resident of Latvia, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) offers the chance to watch a live broadcast of the audience’s beloved LNSO New Year’s Concert on 29 December at 19:00 on the TV channel TV4 (with a repeat broadcast on the evening of 31 December). The concert, “A Feast of French Music,” will feature works by Hector Berlioz, Ernest Chausson, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Camille Saint-Saens, as well as Igor Stravinsky’s ballet suite “The Firebird.” Joining the LNSO and French conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus on stage will be talented Latvian violinist Kristine Balanas.
As is tradition, at the New Year’s Concerts LNSO invites its audiences to enjoy sparkling symphonic works specially chosen for the festive season. This time, taking the podium with the orchestra will be the outstanding French maestro Jean-Claude Casadesus. The conductor’s discography includes more than 30 recordings with the Lille National Orchestra, an ensemble he founded and has led for more than 40 years. He has given concerts in Singapore, Montreal, Baltimore, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Philadelphia, Monte Carlo, Tokyo and elsewhere. As the maestro himself has said: “Conducting a symphony orchestra is not a profession, it is a way of thinking, philosophy and self-exploration.”
Joining the conductor and LNSO on stage will also be Latvian violinist Kristine Balanas, whom The Times described as a “dazzlingly virtuosic” musician. She is one of the fastest-rising talents on world stages. As a soloist, Kristine has so far performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Paris Chamber Orchestra (as concertmaster), the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra, the LNSO, the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, Cardiff Sinfonietta, the Sendai Philharmonic and others, collaborating with conductors such as Ainars Rubikis, Rory Macdonald and Gad Kadosh. At the LNSO New Year’s Concert, Kristine Balanas will perform with the orchestra Ernest Chausson’s “Poeme” and Camille Saint-Saens’ “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.”
The evening, filled with French music, will also feature Hector Berlioz’s overture “Roman Carnival,” Maurice Ravel’s “La Valse,” Claude Debussy’s prelude “Afternoon of a Faun,” and Igor Stravinsky’s splendid suite from the ballet “The Firebird.”
In person, audiences will be able to attend the New Year’s Concert on 28 December at the Cesis Concert Hall, as well as on 29 and 30 December at the Great Guild.
To follow LNSO’s latest news, please visit the LNSO website and the orchestra’s Facebook page.