Press information, 23 April 2025. The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) will begin the launch of its 100th season already in August, and ticket sales for the autumn and winter 2025 concerts have just been announced. This year, the LNSO will call the Riga Congress Centre its home, symbolically marking for audiences the path toward the National Concert Hall. On the LNSO podium next season, in concerts organised both by the orchestra itself and by partner organisations, will be conductors such as maestro Jorma Panula, Tarmo Peltokoski, Maris Sirmais, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Julien Masmondet, Andris Poga, Michele Gamba, Modestas Pitrenas, Guntis Kuzma, Janis Stafeckis, Janis Liepins and Andris Vecumnieks. In its centenary season, the orchestra will be joined on stage by a host of outstanding and internationally recognised soloists – harpsichordist Ieva Saliete, organist Iveta Apkalna, violinists Tami Pohjola and Elina Buksa, cellist Kristaps Bergs, pianists Daumants Liepins and Reinis Zarins, soprano Marina Rebeka and many others. Among LNSO’s concert partners will also be its long-time creative friend, the State Choir “Latvija,” and a rare guest – the Latvian Radio Choir. By organising its concert activity at the Riga Congress Centre, the LNSO, in its 100th season, begins a symbolic path toward the Riga Philharmonic, currently in its design phase, thereby already marking the future concert venue on Latvia’s cultural map.
As is known, renovation works are still underway at the LNSO’s permanent home, the Great Guild, and the orchestra spent last season giving concerts at regional concert halls across Latvia, choosing Hanzas Perons as its Riga residence.
“This year the LNSO celebrates a special milestone – its 100th concert season. This is not only a significant historic moment, but also an opportunity to chart a path into the future. While the reconstruction of the LNSO’s home, the Great Guild, is underway, the orchestra works day to day at the Riga Congress Centre. This spring, together with our partners, we have found a way for LNSO concerts to take place here in the new season,” says Culture Minister Agnese Lace.
“We are pleased with the very good and constructive cooperation with the operators of the Riga Congress Centre – SIA ‘Rigas nami’ – and the Ministry of Culture, because only thanks to the interest and active engagement of all parties can both the LNSO and the Latvian Radio Big Band now work in this building on a daily basis. It is a true pleasure that in the new season we will also give concerts here and begin the path toward the future Riga Philharmonic! At the first concert we give at the Riga Congress Centre, audiences will have the chance to meet special artists – two representatives of the celebrated Finnish conducting school – the rising star and LNSO artistic director Tarmo Peltokoski, and the old master Jorma Panula. We are honoured to mark the maestro’s 95th birthday with this concert on 15 August!” says LNSO director Indra Lukina of the upcoming new season.
Audiences will have the chance to discover the Riga Congress Centre for the first time, or to experience it again after a long absence, on 15 August, at the concert “LNSO, maestro Panula and Tarmo Peltokoski. Sibelius and Prokofiev.” Returning to the LNSO podium will be Finnish maestro Jorma Panula, who celebrates a significant birthday in August. The soloist will be violinist Tami Pohjola, and the special guest will be LNSO’s current artistic director and chief conductor, and Jorma Panula’s student, Tarmo Peltokoski.
A large-scale collaborative concert is expected on 14 September at the Latvian National Opera, featuring Gustav Mahler’s monumental Eighth Symphony. Performing alongside the orchestra will be sopranos Silja Aalto, Chen Reiss and Annija Kristiana Adamsone, mezzo-sopranos Justina Gringyte and Zanda Svede, tenor Tuomas Katajala, baritone Rinalds Kandalincevs, and the celebrated bass Ain Anger, as well as the State Choir “Latvija,” the Choir of the Latvian National Opera, and the Riga Cathedral Girls’ Choir “Tiara.” Ticket sales for this concert will be announced separately.
On 26 September at the Riga Congress Centre, under conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi, the concert “LNSO, Vasks, Golden Baroque and Faure’s Requiem” will take place. The programme includes next season’s composer-in-residence Peteris Vasks’ Cantabile for strings, works by Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach, and Gabriel Faure’s Requiem. The concert will feature harpsichordist Ieva Saliete, soprano Nina Maestracci, and the State Choir “Latvija.” The programme can also be heard a day later, on 27 September, at the “Latvija” Concert Hall in Ventspils.
On 31 October at the Riga Congress Centre, under French conductor Julien Masmondet, Philip Glass’ Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra and Bela Bartok’s ballet suite “The Miraculous Mandarin” will be performed at the concert “LNSO, Glass and Bartok.” Soloists will be violinist Elina Buksa and cellist Kristaps Bergs. The concerts on 26 and 27 September, as well as on 31 October, take place with the support of the French Institute in Latvia.
On 28 November at the Riga Congress Centre, at the concert “LNSO, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Grinups,” the podium will be taken by Janis Liepins. In this concert, the orchestra will perform Arturs Grinups’ Ninth Symphony, Igor Stravinsky’s suite from the ballet “The Firebird,” and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, with Daumants Liepins as soloist.
On 12 December at the Riga Congress Centre, the orchestra invites audiences to the concert “LNSO, Reinis Zarins and the Latvian Radio Choir,” conducted by Guntis Kuzma. The programme features Ludwig van Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto (soloist Reinis Zarins) and his Second Symphony. The programme also includes vocal-instrumental works in which the LNSO will be joined on stage by the Latvian Radio Choir – Robert Schumann’s “Nachtlied” and Ruta Paidere’s “Ancient Wind.”
This year too, the LNSO continues its educational concert series for young people, “Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora.” Concerts will take place on 13 November 2025, and on 5 February and 16 April 2026, at the Riga Congress Centre. Meanwhile, the puppet LeNeSOns and his friends will invite the youngest listeners on musical adventures in the concert performance series “LeNeSOns,” taking place at the Riga Congress Centre on 25 October and 22 November 2025, and on 17 January and 14 March 2026.
The LNSO offers listeners attractive concert subscriptions. The LNSO Autumn Subscription includes four symphonic music concerts at the Riga Congress Centre from September to December, and can be purchased until 26 September. The “Symphonic Hit with Goran Gora” and “LeNeSOns” subscriptions are also already on sale. Tickets for the concerts are available at “Bilesu Paradize” sales points and online.