In March 2025 the Liepāja International Star Festival will shine bright for the 33rd time already, this time it will be held in celebration of Liepāja City 400th anniversary and a special place in this Festival will be dedicated to piano music.
At the city's anniversary Festival, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will offer the audience five concerts taking place at “Lielais dzintars” Concert Hall.
On 8 March, already for the third year in a row, the Liepāja International Star Festival will be opened by the young stars – the winners of the Valdis Vikmanis’ Latvian Young Artist Competition, creating a unique musical adventure where the passion of the young ones meets the maturity of experienced masters.
On 14 March Austrian cellist and singer deeLinde and Brazilian guitarist, trombonist, composer and conductor Emiliano Sampaio will perform at the Star Festival. The duet of these two versatile and experienced musicians will be influenced by Brazilian music, Austrian folk music, jazz and classical traditions, creating a rich and harmonious variety of world music.
On 15 March honoring the beginnings of the Festival and the input made by its founder, Imants Resnis, marking Liepāja on the world music map, the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra will be joined by three brilliant pianist duos in an ambitious pianism star concert.
Agnese Egliņa together with Elīna Bērtiņa will perform Francis Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, where the “jazzy” effects used in its instrumentation evoke associations with Maurice Ravel's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G major, however, inevitable comparisons have also been made with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, which will be performed by the “Geister Duo” consisting of French artists David Salmon and Manuel Viellard.
“Geister Duo” pianists have been making music together for ten years already, and after winning the first place in the famous ARD piano duo competition in Munich, “Geister Duo” is currently considered one of the most promising piano ensembles of its generation, which stands out for its special artistic symbiosis and musicality.
At this concert a premiere of the Concerto for two pianos and orchestra “Tandēms” by the Latvian composer Georgs Pelēcis will take place, it will be performed by Andrejs Osokins together with Sergejs Osokins.
On 21 March the Festival will feature a concert of the association “Altera veritas”. It is an ensemble that surprises with its creative approach and new music, offering “another truth” about kokle, accordion and flute. In Latin the name of the ensemble “altera veritas” mean exactly that – “another truth”.
On 22 March the Festival will close with a grand opera music gala concert dedicated to Liepāja City 400th anniversary. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and soloists will also be joined by the Liepāja choirs in this event, experiencing an unforgettable encounter in music together.
Tickets for the Festival concerts can be purchased at "Biļešu Paradīze" ticket offices and www.bilesuparadize.lv.
The 33rd Liepāja International Star Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, State Culture Capital Foundation, Liepāja City and SEB bank.
