At the concert hall “Lielais dzintars,” as part of the “Liepāja - European Capital of Culture 2027” program, the world-famous Canadian-American singer Rufus Wainwright will perform in Liepāja for the first time. This will be a unique opportunity to experience his concert program Want Symphonic, where the singer’s hits blossom in symphonic sound. On this evening, he will appear together with a festival orchestra made up of Latvia’s finest musicians, under the baton of conductor Normunds Šnē.
Elton John has called Rufus Wainwright “the greatest songwriter on our planet,” while David Bowie described him as “one of the great writers.” Wainwright’s albums Want One and Want Two have achieved iconic status worldwide. Paste Magazine named Want One the best album of the year, while Rolling Stone ranked it among the five best albums of 2003. Bowie called Wainwright’s song “Dinner at Eight” the best father-and-son song he knows.
The 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons marked 20 years since the release of the critically acclaimed albums Want One and Want Two. To mark this 20th anniversary, the concert program Want Symphonic was created, in which the “breathtaking and eccentric luxury” of the original songs, in the words of German Rolling Stone, was translated into magnificent symphonic arrangements by Sally Herbert, who has worked with Woodkid and Florence + the Machine, and Max Moston, known for Anohni and the Johnsons.
Want Symphonic is a sonic paradise, a “Shangri-La,” bringing together 60 classical musicians, drummer Matt Johnson, who has worked with Jeff Buckley and St. Vincent, and Wainwright’s voice, which the London Times has compared to “a velvet truffle,” performing a broad selection of songs from both albums.
Throughout his career, Wainwright has collaborated with the world’s leading orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, and others, and this thrilling concert program offers the first chance to experience these legendary albums in exactly this sound.
Wainwright says: “Want One and Want Two are probably the most epic of my albums. They are like two sides of the same coin or, more precisely, like two facets of my personality: the masculine and the feminine, the knight in shining armor and the innocent maiden, ecstasy and restraint, splendor and ruin, decay and creation, maturity and a child’s mind. I am thrilled to elevate these songs to a new level with a completely new symphonic framework. There is nothing more exciting than singing in front of a huge orchestra.”
“This album is a first-rate musical experience in which Wainwright’s voice, sweet and full of undying hope, speaks so revealingly and directly that it makes you feel at home even in the most challenging moments of instrumental music,” writes the LA Times.
With the Want Symphonic program, Wainwright has performed on the most legendary classical music stages and worked with outstanding orchestras, including the BBC Concert Orchestra at the BBC Proms in London, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, as well as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others.
The concert is being carried out within the framework of the project “Liepāja - European Capital of Culture 2027,” using funding allocated by the Liepāja city municipality, South Kurzeme, Kuldīga, and the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” program is supported by the main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS CleanR Grupa, the main partner in air mobility and international communication, AS Air Baltic Corporation, the partner for legal matters, SIA Sorainen ZAB, the land mobility partner, SIA Lux Express Latvia, the water transport mobility and international communication partner, SIA Stena Line. Media partners: VSIA Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs, SIA TVNET GRUPA, AS KURZEMES RADIO.
Featuring:
Rufus WAINWRIGHT - vocals, guitar, piano
Festival orchestra
Matt JOHNSON - drums
Conductor Normunds ŠNĒ
Venue: Great Hall
Duration: concert in two parts, approximately 2 hours
Recommended age: 16+
Organized by: Lielais dzintars
The concert is being held within the “Dižie Lielajā dzintarā” project of the “Liepāja 2027” program, using funding allocated by the Ministry of Culture, Liepāja city, South Kurzeme, and Kuldīga. Supported by: State Culture Capital Foundation.
Tickets: from 30.00 euros
The ticket price may change as the event approaches.
Discounts:
For school students, students, teachers, pensioners - 25%
For people with disability groups I and II, as well as their companions - 50%
For holders of a Honorary Family Card (“3+ Family Card”) or LT (“Šeimos kortelė”) or EST (“Perekaart”) - 25%
NB: when attending the concert, the visitor must present a document proving eligibility for the discount.
Group tickets:
10-30 people - 20%
30 or more people - 25%
The event will be photographed and filmed. The material may be used for publicity purposes by SIA Lielais Dzintars and its partners.
