Latvian National Symphony Orchestra tours France

At the end of February, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) together with conductor Andris Poga will go on tour to France to perform in Aix-en-Provence, Metz, and Paris, the heart of France. In the tour, the orchestra and the conductor will be joined on stage by Iveta Apkalna, one of the world's most renowned organists, and the sought-after pianist Andrei Korobeinikov.

"The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra will be touring France already for the sixth time. We will also perform at the famous Philharmonie de Paris for the second time. Our special relationship with France stems from fruitful cooperation with the French agency Productions Internationales Albert Sarfati, which started in 2015 with a highly successful concert at the historic Théâtre des Champs Elysées. Meanwhile, our first performance at the Philharmonie de Paris dates back to 2018, after which it was a great honour to be invited to return to this stage. The concert on 24 February will bring together the LNSO and Andris Poga, the outstanding Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna, who will perform Hymnus for solo organ by Pēteris Vasks, followed by joint performance with the orchestra of Fantasy and Fugue on the Chorale Ad nos, ad salutarem undam[KA1] , arranged by the legendary French organist Marcel Dupré. During the French tour, we will give two more concerts: in Aix-en-Provence and at the Arsenal de Metz. At a time when orchestral tours are becoming increasingly rare, we are truly excited and pleased about the opportunity to represent Latvia in the musical metropolis of Europe. The LNSO's tour of France is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia," notes Indra Lūkina, Member of the Board of the LNSO.

The first concert of the LNSO tour will take place on Wednesday, 22 February, at the Grand Théâtre de Provence. Andrei Korobeinikov, one of today's most sought-after pianists, will take to the stage with the LNSO and Andris Poga. The audience will hear Pēteris Vasks' deeply cathartic Musica serena, as well as Serge Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and Sergei Prokofiev's music from the ballet Romeo and Juliet.

On Friday, 24 February, the LNSO will travel to Paris to perform in the Grande salle Pierre Boulez of the Philharmonie de Paris. For this concert, the LNSO and Andris Poga will be joined on stage by one of the world's most renowned organists, Iveta Apkalna. This collaboration will feature Franz Liszt's Fantasy and Fugue on the Chorale Ad nos, ad salutarem undam. French audiences will also be treated to a performance of Hymnus for solo organ by Pēteris Vasks and fragments from Sergei Prokofiev's ballet suite Romeo and Juliet.

The French tour will conclude on 25 February with the LNSO in Metz. Here, too, the orchestra and Andris Poga will be joined by the charismatic pianist Andrei Korobeinikov, playing music by Pēteris Vasks, Serge Rachmaninoff, and Modest Mussorgsky.

The LNSO concert tour to France is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.