Programme:
Pēteris Vasks’ mass and other works by the composer
On 12 December 2026, the concert “Lux Adventus” will resound at St. Paul’s Church in Riga, bringing together the sound of the mixed choir JUVENTUS of the University of Latvia and the string chamber orchestra SINFONIA CONCERTANTE. This concert will both mark the Advent season and honor the outstanding Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
“Lux Adventus” carries a multilayered meaning. It refers at once to the name of the mixed choir JUVENTUS, to light as a key artistic element of the concert, and to the Advent season in which the concert will take place. In Latin, “Lux Adventus” means the coming of light, a symbolic reference both to the time of awaiting the birth of Christ and to the presence of inner light, hope, and stillness in the music of Pēteris Vasks.
An important part of the concert is also the visual design of the lighting direction and scenography, created by the lighting artists “Those Guys Lighting,” with whom JUVENTUS has realized its most ambitious concert projects in recent years.
The mixed choir JUVENTUS of the University of Latvia is the oldest student choir in Latvia, and since its founding in 1920 it has continuously been one of the strongest and most recognizable amateur choirs in the country. Since 2014, the choir's artistic director has been Valdis Tomsons. JUVENTUS takes pride in its wide recognition and achievements both in Latvia and internationally.
The concert is organized by the “JUVENTUS Support and Development Association,” and is being created with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation and the Riga city municipality.
