28 ISMF. Closing concert | Buddha Passion

28th International Sacred Music Festival. Closing concert| Buddha Passion

Artists:

State Choir “Latvija”

Latvian National Symphony Orchestra

Soloists: Viktorija Majore, Ieva Parša, Jolanta Strikaite, Mārtiņš Zvīgulis, Hasibagen

Conductor Māris Sirmais

Programme:

Tan Dun “Buddha Passion”

The State Choir “Latvija” and its artistic director Māris Sirmais invite all interested parties to the 28th International Sacred Music Festival, which will take place from August 14 to September 5 at St. Peter’s Church and the Riga Congress Hall. Four concert programs will feature a stylistically rich array of sacred music, including gems of late Italian Renaissance vocal polyphony and their echoes in contemporary works, world premieres by Latvian composers, lyrical Scandinavian and French choral music, highlights of modern Estonian classical music, as well as a Latvian premiere – the first Passion to express the teachings of Buddha, merging Eastern and Western cultural traditions through music.

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The festival’s closing concert on September 5 at the Riga Congress Hall will be a unique event in Latvia’s musical life – for the first time ever, Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun’s monumental work Buddha Passion will be performed in Latvia.

After visiting the Mogao Caves in the Dunhuang Desert – the oldest cave monastery complex in northern China – the composer was profoundly inspired by the countless murals he saw there. These “musical frescoes” depict more than 4,000 musical instruments, 3,000 musicians, and 500 orchestras. “I was so deeply moved that I could almost hear the sounds flowing out of the wall paintings,” said Tan Dun.

Over the next six years, he created this powerful opus – a captivating story of miracles, truth, and a quiet yet inevitable transformation. The work blends a wide range of styles, including both Western and Chinese opera, Western classical music, and Asian folk traditions.

The Buddha Passion will be performed by the State Choir “Latvija,” the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra with an extended percussion section, and a large ensemble of soloists, including Jolanta Strikaite, Viktorija Majore, Ieva Parša, and Mārtiņš Zvīgulis.

This special Latvian premiere will be led by the artistic director and conductor Māris Sirmais.

More information about the festival concerts: www.sgmf.lv

During the concert, photography, video, and audio recording will take place.