Bringing Boston Symphony Orchestra to Riga is a dream come true - Nelsons

RIGA - Bringing the Boston Symphony Orchestra to Riga is a dream come true, conductor Andris Nelsons said at a press conference on Tuesday.

As LETA was told at the Andrejs Zagars Cultural Development Foundation, this is the first time that the Boston Symphony Orchestra will perform in Latvia.

The concerts in Riga will take place on May 11 and 12 next year at the Latvian National Opera as part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's European tour dedicated to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the composer's death.

The concerts are organized by the Andrejs Zagars Cultural Development Foundation, giving Latvian audience the opportunity to experience the orchestra's sound under the baton of conductor Nelson.

The May 11 concert will feature Shostakovich's Symphonies No. 6 and 8, while the May  12 concert will also include Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15 and Violin Concerto No. 1, with Latvian violinist Baiba Skride as soloist.

Nelson noted that he and the orchestra are delighted to have the opportunity to perform in his hometown. He mentioned that he had previously had the opportunity to perform in Latvia with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and in 2018 with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

"Now I am particularly proud to present the outstanding performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra to Latvian audiences. Riga is a particularly important city for me, as it is where my daughter studies, where my parents live and where I started my musical journey," said Nelson.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra's European tour, which will begin in Vienna and conclude in Leipzig with an eight-day residency at the Leipzig Shostakovich Festival, will offer audiences a taste of Shostakovich's music, a favorite of both Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and conductor Nelson.

Tickets for the Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts in Riga will go on sale in December this year.