In 2026, from March 1 to 14, the Liepaja International Star Festival - one of the most important events in classical music in Latvia - will take place for the 34th time, which every year brings together outstanding artists from Latvia and abroad.
The Festival, organized by the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, has become an integral part of Liepaja's cultural life, offering bright concerts, high -quality repertoire and unforgettable musical adventures.
One of the most striking events at the Festival will be the performance of the world -famous Japanese pianist Hiromi.
On March 7, the Japanese jazz phenomenon Hiromi – pianist and composer - for the first time on the same stage will join the Liepaja Symphony Orchestra conducted by Guntis Kuzma to create a musical explosion in which the freedom of jazz will meet the power of symphonic grandeur.
Hiromi is one of the brightest and most innovative contemporary jazz artists - her playing is characterized by explosive energy, virtuoso technique and creative courage that breaks down all genre barriers. She combines jazz, classical, progressive rock, fusion and electronics, creating music that is both intellectually challenging and emotionally captivating.
In addition to this special evening, the festival will also offer a series of other equally bright concerts.
The 34th Liepāja International Star Festival will be opened on the evening of March 1 with a magnificent symphonic music concert. One of the most interpreted masterpieces of the romantic era - Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto - will be played at the opening of the Festival. The young Japanese violinist Yuki Hirano will shine here as a soloist, whose short but brilliant career has so far culminated in a triumph at the Vienna Classical Violin Competition.
Carl Maria von Weber’s First Clarinet Concerto will be performed this evening by Belgian clarinettist Annelien Van Wauwe. Since winning the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, she has performed with renowned ensembles such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Brussels Philharmonic, among others. Her playing has been heard at the Tonhalle Zürich, the Konzerthaus in Berlin and Vienna, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2020, she received the prestigious Opus Klassik Award for her recording “Belle Époque” with the Orchestre National de Lille.
On March 8, one of Latvia’s most brilliant pianists - Reinis Zariņš, will return to the Liepāja International Stars Festival with a deeply personal and spiritually charged program. The concert will feature Visions of the Crossroads. Light — a piano cycle by Rihards Dubra, awarded by the Grand Music Award 2025 in the category “New Composition of the Year.”
On March 13, the Stars Festival will welcome one of the ten outstanding ensembles selected by Poland’s Ministry of Culture to represent the country in the 2025/26 concert season. Polish musicians — cellist Bartosz Koziak and pianist Krzysztof Książek — will present a refined program where the heart of Polish Romanticism meets the charm of Paris and its threads of elegant musical enchantment.
The closing concert of the Liepāja International Stars Festival on March 14 will be a vibrant and emotionally rich finale, featuring the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra alongside two of Northern Europe’s brightest musical stars – conductor Christian Lindberg and pianist Roland Pöntinen. Together, these masters will bring to life a Romantic-era gem filled with lyrical themes, dramatic heights, and a delicate dialogue between soloist and orchestra: Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto. The concert will conclude with the expressive and powerful Fifth Symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen.
The festival program is available HERE.
Tickets for the festival concerts are available on the “Biļešu paradīze” network.
The Liepāja International Star Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, the State Cultural Capital Foundation and the City of Liepāja.
