Concert-Lecture Trilogy on Latvian Music

With the aim of promoting access to professional academic music in Sēlija, the association Sēļu rotadata is launching a concert-lecture trilogy, "Feel and Hear Latvianness in Music." In the autumn, a series of three events will take place in the Lutheran churches of Subate, Stender, and Kaldabruna, bringing together high-quality musical performance and educational storytelling about the history of Latvian music and contemporary trends.

The concert-lecture series is based on the idea of showing the development of Latvian music from the distant past to the present day, from the classical form to today’s modern performance. Listeners will have the chance to hear both works by great Latvian composers and compositions by contemporary authors. Each concert will be complemented by an educational narrative about music history and literature, helping the audience gain a deeper understanding of the content being performed.

On September 20, the Berči Quartet will perform at Subate Lutheran Church. The ensemble was founded in 2017 and features musicians from the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra. The chamber group was named in honor of Liepāja’s architectural heritage and the city’s famous architect P. M. Berči. The quartet consists of Gunārs Mūrnieks (violin), Diāna Reimane (violin), Elīna Čipāne (viola), and Klāvs Jankevics (cello). The quartet plays an important role in Latvia’s chamber music scene, combining the traditions of classical music with a contemporary vision.

On October 11, Trio Tresensus will perform at Stender Lutheran Church, a unique chamber ensemble founded in 2015. Its name symbolizes "three senses" or "three minds," pointing to the coming together of three strong personalities for one goal. The trio features Līga Griķe (kokle), Aigars Raumanis (saxophone), and Uģis Upenieks (percussion). Trio Tresensus performs works of contemporary Latvian academic music, with repertoire that also touches on minimalism, jazz, and world music. The ensemble has released the album Variations and received a Certificate of Recognition at the 2025 Great Music Award.

Meanwhile, on November 29, guitarist Gints Smukais will perform at Kaldabruna Lutheran Church. The musician is a striking figure in Latvia’s music scene, having deeply studied and refined composition and guitar style, combining melody with percussive elements. Gints Smukais has achieved success in prestigious international competitions and regularly performs both as a soloist and in collaboration with other musicians, presenting academic and popular music. Every performance by Gints Smukais is a musical experience, as a single instrument is able to create the sound of a full ensemble while at the same time fulfilling the roles of both string and percussion instrument.

The project "Concert-Lecture Trilogy: Understand, Hear and Feel Latvianness in Music" is implemented by the association Sēļu rotadata and supported by the Sēlija Cultural Program.