On July 10, 2027, at 9:00 PM, the premiere of “The Story of a Fisherman” will take place on Saulkrasti Beach by the Skulte Harbor breakwater - an original music and dance performance created especially for this occasion about coastal fishermen, people and the sea, the way of life of the coast, knowledge passed down through generations, and belonging to one’s own shore.
The idea for the performance was born in the summer of 2025, when its creator and conductor Laura Leontjeva met a local Saulkrasti fisherman. His stories about life at sea left such a deep impression that the wish arose to create a new stage work centered on the seafaring person - his experience, relationship with the sea, and the knowledge inherited from his ancestors.
“The Story of a Fisherman” is an original work - for the performance, both the story and the music, as well as the dance and choreography, were created especially for it. Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce’s original dramaturgy will intertwine with new works by composers Uģis Prauliņš, Kristaps Krievkalns, and Mārtiņš Miļevskis, brought to life in movement through the choreography created by Jānis Purviņš.
The narrator of the performance is actor Vilis Daudziņš, while SAULKRASTI CHOIR ANIMA, MARE BALTICUM ORCHESTRA, and soloist Asnate Rancāne will take part in the musical story under the direction of conductor Laura Leontjeva, as well as the folklore dance ensemble LĪGO under the direction of choreographer Jānis Purviņš.
The three composers have created 16 pieces, forming a unified musical dramaturgy. The musical language of the performance is symphofolk - a fusion of elements of classical music with the intonations, instruments, and atmosphere of folklore and folk music.
“Real and lived human stories are deeply inspiring. At the moment, our historical and cultural heritage is especially relevant, as is the way of life connected with coastal fishing and the people whose lives have been shaped by the sea for generations. It is valuable to highlight the unique and see the special quality in what is actually right beside us, but is gradually disappearing. With this performance, we want to notice these stories, hear them, and preserve them by telling them to today’s audience through words, music, and dance,” says the creator of the idea and conductor Laura Leontjeva.
The sea itself will also be an inseparable part of the performance. Saulkrasti Beach by the Skulte Harbor breakwater will not be just a venue - the seashore will become part of the story and atmosphere of the performance. Word, music, and dance will meet in an authentic setting, allowing the story of coastal fishermen to be experienced where it was shaped.
On the way to the premiere, the stories and testimonies of local coastal fishermen from the Vidzeme seaside are also being collected and preserved, creating a documentary heritage of the coastal community’s maritime culture and the people whose lives have been shaped by the sea.
“The Story of a Fisherman” is a story about the sea and a human being. About courage and fear, longing and return, life wisdom passed down through generations, and belonging to one’s own shore. About values that are right beside us, but are gradually disappearing, and about the need to see them, hear them, and preserve them.
Time: July 10, 2027, at 9:00 PM
Venue: Saulkrasti Beach by the Skulte Harbor breakwater
Creator of the idea and conductor: Laura Leontjeva
Story author / original dramaturgy: Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce
Composers: Uģis Prauliņš, Kristaps Krievkalns, Mārtiņš Miļevskis
Choreographer: Jānis Purviņš
Narrator and illustrator: Vilis Daudziņš
Featuring: Saulkrasti Choir ANIMA, MARE BALTICUM ORCHESTRA, Riga folklore dance ensemble LĪGO
Soloist: Asnate Rancāne
