FESTIVAL SPIN-OFF
The Baltic Sea Festival is bursting with initiatives and partners who wants to join us on this Festival with music and talks connecting people around the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately not all of the wonderful things happening can fit within the official programme. Hence we have created the Baltic Sea Festival Spin-off – please enjoy the fantastic programme presented by our friends around the Baltic Sea. The page will be updated during the festival.
MUSIC & TALK AT THE GREAT AMBER
At the Liepaja concert hall “Great Amber” a conversation on ECOLOGICAL CASCADE EFFECT and a concert with orthodox songs performed by the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Sigvards Kļava took place in late August. Watch music and talk here:
ABOUT THE TALK
A cascade effect is an inevitable and sometimes unforeseen chain of events due to an act affecting a system. Is there a possibility that the cascade effect will have a negative impact on the Baltic sea? How can our everyday actions and attitude can create these cascade effects in nature? Is everything connected? In Latvian folksongs and mythology we often refer to nature as our mother. We see it a whole, as something perfect, unbreakable. In cultural terms we see the ecosystem perfectly connected, why don’t we see it when it comes to practical matters?
Participants: Voldemārs Johansons, artist. Johansons merges his interests in visuality, sound and science and explores the perception and nature of experience in visible and audible domains. Indriķis Krams, biologist. Professor at the University of Tartu, Associate Professor at the University of Latvia and Leading Researcher at Daugavpils University with interest in birds, humans, insects, microbes. Eva Johansone, journalist. Editor-in-chief of the environmental program ”Zaļgalvis”, leads the Creative Europe climate and art project “ACT” at the New Theatre Institute of Latvia.
ABOUT THE MUSIC: ORTHODOX CHANTS with THE LATVIAN RADIO CHOIR
Orthodox chants are an essential, age-old part of church life. Chants are sung during evening service, liturgy, as well as on special festive occasions. Performances of Russian religious music by the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Sigvards Kļava have always warmed listeners’ hearts both in Latvia and across the world, gaining them praise from such prestigious media outlets as Gramophone and The Guardian.
In this concert audiences hear works by the grandmasters of Russian music – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Georgy Sviridov, Alexander Gretchaninov, and Valentin Silvestrov. Surrounded by the excellent acoustics of the Great Amber concert hall, the rich and soulful chants will be performed by sound virtuosos – the Latvian Radio Choir, Orthodox priest Father Vasily and conductor Sigvards Kļava.
Liepaja Concert hall ”Great Amber” has become a significant centre of culture and events, as well as the home of Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School.
Synaesthesis Ensemble
Listen to Synaethesis Ensemble, led by pianist Marta Finkelstein, participant of the Baltic Sea Festival talk from Vilnius 12th September. Works by four Lithuanian composers are performed: Beata Juchnievic, Yiorgis Sakellariou, Justina Siknsnelyte och Kevin Lang. All composers participate in the video and comment on their works.
The Synaethesis Ensemble project is created within the framework of the non-profit organization Kintai Arts whose purpose is to be a center for art and education and to strengthen the collaboration between artists, thinkers, musicians and other professional cultural workers through interdisciplinary programs. Kintai Arts Residence serves as a platform for cultural production and is integrated into the social and cultural life of the Klaipėda region.