Blagovest Choir, Aleksejs Koļesņikovs (violin), and Ingūna Grīnberga (organ)

On November 7 at 7: 00 PM at Riga Luther Church in Torņakalns – a meeting of music and light

That evening, the vaults of the Torņakalns church will be filled with an expansive and emotionally charged concert program uniting choral voices, the sound of the violin, the grandeur of the organ, and a specially created lighting score.

One of Latvia’s finest ensembles of sacred music will take part in the concert – the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” under the leadership of its founder and artistic director Aleksandra Brandava. Founded in 1990, the choir has, over more than 35 years, become a laureate of many international competitions, performed in Europe and the United States, collaborated with distinguished soloists, choirs, and composers, and recorded seven music albums.

In 2026, “Blagovest” won the Grand Prix at the prestigious international competition “Laurea Mundi Budapest,” becoming the best mixed choir among more than twenty ensembles from around the world. In the sacred music category, the choir also received the high “Laurea cum laude” distinction for outstanding artistic performance. “Blagovest” is known for its refined, nuanced sound, vocal mastery, and especially deep, respectful approach to sacred music.

Performing together with the choir will be violinist Aleksejs Koļesņikovs and Torņakalns Church organist and pianist Ingūna Grīnberga.

The program will feature works by Arvo Pärt, Pēteris Vasks, Alfred Schnittke, Emīls Dārziņš, Dmitri Bortniansky, and other composers – music where spiritual depth, fragile silence, and monumental sonic power meet.

A special visual dimension for the concert will be created by lighting artist Ivars Vacers. His lighting story will follow the musical dramaturgy, allowing the church’s architecture, colors, and sound to merge into a single artistic whole. It will be a finely crafted experience of the symbiosis of music and light, in which each piece will gain its own visual atmosphere and emotional space.

On November 7, we invite you to experience an evening in which music becomes visible and light becomes audible.