Participating
Vestards Šimkus (piano)
2026 laureate of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition
Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra from Rzeszów (Poland)
Conductor
Norbert Tworzyński (Poland)
Program
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra
Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880) Concerto No. 2 for violin and orchestra
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Symphony No. 7
The program of the 35th Liepaja International Stars Festival opening concert is united by the question, so often encountered in Romantic music, of the relationship between the individual and the whole. Some composers place the soloist’s voice in the foreground, others seek a balance between soloist and orchestra, while still others entrust the narrative to the orchestra itself.
The festival opening program reveals this idea in three different ways, from Liszt’s rarely performed piano concerto to Wieniawski’s violin lyricism and Dvořák’s symphonic thinking.
Franz Liszt’s Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra is one of the most unusual works in the composer’s output. For a long time the piece was practically unknown and entered concert life only at the end of the 20th century, when its score was reconstructed from manuscripts preserved in various archives. The concerto is written as a single-movement work, in which separate episodes follow one another without a traditional division into movements. The music develops in a continuous flow, with virtuosic piano passages alternating with lyrical episodes.
In Liszt’s Third Piano Concerto, virtuosity is combined with the free flow of musical form. This resonates particularly well with the individuality of Vestards Šimkus’s piano playing, which audiences will have the chance to hear at the festival opening.
Henryk Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 2 for violin and orchestra is one of the most significant works of Polish Romantic violin music. The composer himself was an outstanding violinist, and this is evident in the brilliant solo part, in which the soloist’s voice grows out of the orchestra’s musical material and transforms it into a personal, songful expression.
In Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, a soloist’s voice is no longer needed: the orchestra takes over the musical drama, and individual expression turns into a unified symphonic narrative.
In this symphony, the foreground is not dance-like lightness and a sense of folk splendor, which are often associated with Dvořák’s music. Dominant are tense rhythmic impulses, darker harmonic language, and a dense orchestral texture.
The concert will feature the Artur Malawski Subcarpathian Philharmonic Orchestra from the Polish city of Rzeszów under the baton of conductor Norbert Tworzyński. The participation of the 2026 laureate of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition gives the program a direct link to Wieniawski’s legacy and the tradition of Polish music, an emphasis that on this evening meets Liszt’s virtuosity and Dvořák’s symphonic scope.
INFORMATION FOR VISITORS:
The concert uses an extended stage, so in practice row 5 is the 1st row of the audience.
Discounts:
Students, disabled people, pensioners - 5 euros
Schoolchildren - 50%
Holders of 3+ Family Cards - 30%
Accompanying person for a person with disability of Group I/II - 50%
Groups (10 or more visitors) - 20%
When purchasing group tickets online, please write to sales@lso.lv
When attending the concert, the visitor must present a document proving eligibility for the discount.
Useful:
The concert is accessible to people with hearing impairments, as the induction loop function will be activated during the event. Based on the experience expressed by people with hearing impairments when trying this system, the best listening experience is possible in the central parterre seating area from rows 5 to 12, seats 6 to 28.
The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the City of Liepaja.
