Violinist Dace Bukša and cellist Elīza Petrenko to open the “Born for Bauska” concert series
On September 3, the Bauska Music and Art School will launch its concert series “Born for Bauska,” opening with a performance by violinist Dace Bukša and cellist Elīza Petrenko. The series connects professional musicians with roots in Bauska to the local community.
On Thursday, September 3, the Bauska Music and Art School will open this year's concert series “Born for Bauska” in its concert hall. The opening evening will feature two musicians of Latvia's younger generation — violinist Dace Bukša and cellist Elīza Petrenko — whose musical partnership began during their studies at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
About the series and its purpose
According to Anita Velmunska, director of the Bauska Music and Art School, the concert series has grown over the years into a meaningful part of the region's cultural life. The idea behind the project is to strengthen ties between Bauska and professional musicians whose creative paths began there, while giving local residents a chance to enjoy high-level classical music close to home. Velmunska notes that the series is both a story of homecoming and a way to pass artistic experience on to students, teachers and the wider community.
An artist rooted in Bauska
Dace Bukša is a graduate of the Bauska Music School who went on to earn both bachelor's and master's degrees at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, later completing a master's degree in orchestral performance at the University of Gothenburg. She currently performs with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and the Klaipėda Theatre Orchestra, while continuing an active concert career in Latvia and abroad.
A program of classical and romantic works
The concert program spans several eras, featuring works by Franz Anton Hoffmeister, Ludwig van Beethoven, Benjamin Godard, Edward Elgar and Emīls Dārziņš. The selection is designed to showcase the tonal range of violin and cello together, along with the subtleties of chamber music dialogue.
The project is organized by the Bauska Music and Art School with support from the State Culture Capital Foundation's Zemgale Historical Land Culture Programme 2026.
