From April 8 to 11, 2027, the internationally acclaimed opera-performance “Sun & Sea” (“Saulė ir jūra”), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Art Biennale, will be staged at Liepāja Concert Hall “Lielais dzintars” as part of the “Liepāja - European Capital of Culture 2027” program. This will be the first time the highly praised production is shown in Latvia.
The creators of the famous Lithuanian contemporary opera “Sun & Sea” are director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, dramaturge Vaiva Grainytė and composer Lina Lapelytė. The production challenges the traditional form of opera and expands the boundaries of the genre, combining performance, visual art and music.
At the center of the production is an artificial beach, where soloists sing about the climate crisis, consumer habits and modern society in seemingly everyday scenes of relaxation. The libretto combines humor, irony and social context, creating a powerful contrast between the visually light aesthetic and global existential questions. Each musical fragment becomes an allegory of humanity's relationship with nature, the environment and society, inviting the audience to reflect on their own place in the world's ecosystem.
Introducing the guest performances expected in Liepāja, opera creator Vaiva Grainytė emphasizes: “Liepāja's closeness to the Baltic Sea returns this work to its native shore. The opera performance “Sun & Sea” was created based on both our childhood memories and contemporary experiences gained while staying on the Baltic Sea coast and interacting with coastal residents. The traces left by the military heritage give the production an additional dimension, further intensifying the sense of fragility sung through in the work. On behalf of the creators of the production, we are delighted that this work will be shown to audiences in Latvia.”
The opera-performance “Sun&Sea” is being organized within the framework of the “Liepāja - European Capital of Culture 2027” program, using funding allocated by Liepāja city municipality, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, with co-financing from the Ministry of Culture. The event is supported by the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027. The “Liepāja 2027” program is supported by the main partner in the field of environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, the main partner in the field of air mobility and international communication, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, the partner for legal matters, SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, and the land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”. Information partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs” and AS “Kurzemes Radio”.
