As part of the European Capital of Culture programme “Liepāja 2027”, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will present three major musical events at the festival “Opera by the Sea”, featuring internationally acclaimed soloists, including Marina Rebeka and Lusiana Mansini, and performing newly commissioned works.
“2027 will be a landmark year for both the culture of Liepāja and Kurzeme, and for the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra. Within the rich Liepāja 2027 cultural programme, we will weave our city’s long-standing operatic traditions together with new works by Rihards Dubra and Arturs Maskats, alongside a performance by the diva Marina Rebeka,” comments Uldis Lipskis, Director of the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, on the upcoming events.
On 24 July 2027, under the baton of conductor Guntis Kuzma, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra invites music lovers to a stunning summer opera evening at the Concert Garden “Pūt, vējiņi!”.
That evening, the stage will be graced by the outstanding Latvian Soprano Marina Rebeka—one of Latvia’s most internationally recognised opera stars, whose voice has resonated in the world’s most prestigious opera houses. She will be joined by French tenor Julien Behr, whose brilliant timbre and expressive musicality have made him a sought-after soloist across Europe.
This July evening promises a spectacular journey through the world of opera—from lyrical arias to fiery duets. The programme will feature both intensely emotional experiences and tales of passion and love, all hallmarks of the operatic genre. The whispers of the sea caught in the trees will mingle with the orchestra’s sounds, creating a unique summer evening atmosphere in Liepāja.
On 9 October 2027, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will present a programme of classical baroque opera music, featuring Chilean mezzo-soprano Lusiana Mansini in the lead role.
The evening will also include a special premiere—a song cycle composed by Arturs Maskats specifically for this event, set to the poetry of the French writer Pierre Louÿs, “Songs of Bilitis”.
Mansini is renowned for her intense stage presence and vocally expressive singing. Her repertoire spans music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods to contemporary composers such as Luciano Berio and Astor Piazzolla. Latvian audiences are already familiar with her: in 2024, she performed the lead role in Piazzolla’s opera “María de Buenos Aires” at the Cēsis Arts Festival, an event that received wide public acclaim and earned the 2024 Grand Music Award nomination for “Performance of the Year”.
On 5 November 2027, Rihards Dubra’s opera “The Wind Man Pankoks” will have its premiere, created in collaboration with dramaturge Inga Ābele. It promises an emotional and visually rich experience, inviting audiences into the mysterious world of the Kurzeme coast, to feel the power of nature and the quest of the human spirit. “The Wind Man Pankoks” tells a story of creation, loss, hope, and love—a journey of the soul towards freedom.
At the heart of the story is Miķelis Pankoks, the son of a fisherman, who, struggling with life’s hardships and searching for his identity, discovers his calling as an artist. His journey takes him through seascapes, family dramas, artistic triumphs and losses, and even the trials of exile and visions of spiritual return. The opera blends real and symbolic scenes—the sea, trees, mountains, angels, and the voice of God—all permeating Pankoks’ life and art.
As part of the Liepāja 2027 programme, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will also perform at the South Kurzeme festival Rimbenieks and at the Ēriks Ešenvalds Festival in Priekule. “The orchestra will also feature at the grand opening celebrations, the Europa Cantat festival, and the concert series “Stars in Amber” in the Great Amber Hall. These events give us the opportunity to realise our potential and to represent Latvia’s high-level professional music internationally. We hope Liepāja will shine!” says U. Lipskis.
Tickets for the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra concerts are available via the Biļešu Paradīze network: www.bilesuparadize.lv.
The festival Opera by the Sea is presented within the Liepāja 2027 programme, with funding from the Ministry of Culture, the City of Liepāja, and the municipalities of Dienvidkurzeme and Kuldīga. The Liepāja 2027 programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, its principal partner for mobility and international communication, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, and its mobility partner, the transport provider SIA “Lux Express Latvia”.
Iveta Vēvere
Head of Communications
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra
Phone: +371 29 287 345
Email: pr@lso.lv
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