Liepāja Opera Festival “Opera by the Sea”. Luciana Mancini and Liepāja Symphony Orchestra

Featuring

• Luciana Mancini (mezzo-soprano)
• Liepāja Symphony Orchestra

Conductor

• Guntis Kuzma

Venue: Liepāja Concert Hall “Lielais dzintars”, Great Hall

At the “Opera by the Sea” festival, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Guntis Kuzma, invites you to enjoy a classical baroque opera music program featuring Chilean mezzo-soprano Luciana Mancini in the leading role.

This evening will also feature a special premiere – a song cycle by Arturs Maskats composed especially for this event, set to the poetry of French writer Pierre Louÿs, titled “Songs of Bilitis.”

The “Songs of Bilitis” is a cycle of poems that Pierre Louÿs created as autobiographical songs of the ancient Greek poetess Bilitis, although in reality Bilitis is a character born from Louÿs’ imagination. The poems are distinguished by their sensuality, subtle eroticism, and poetic atmosphere, which Arturs Maskats has translated into music.

Luciana Mancini stands out for her intense stage energy and vocally expressive singing. Her repertoire spans music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods to contemporary composers such as Luciano Berio and Astor Piazzolla.

Music lovers in Latvia are well acquainted with Luciana Mancini – in 2024, at the Cēsis Arts Festival, she played the leading role in Astor Piazzolla’s opera “Maria de Buenos Aires.” This event attracted wide public attention and acclaim, also earning the Grand Music Award 2024 nomination for “Performance of the Year.”

The Opera by the Sea Festival takes its place within the Liepāja 2027 programme, brought to life through the funding of the Ministry of Culture, the City of Liepāja, and the municipalities of South Kurzeme and Kuldīga. The Liepāja 2027 programme is guided by AS CleanR Grupa (JSC) – the lead supporting partner for environmental education and sustainability, the lead supporting partner in the field of mobility and communication AS airBaltic Corporation, alongside the mobility partner – transportation company SIA Lux Express Latvia (Ltd).

Organised by Liepāja Symphony Orchestra