Latvian National Opera head: low pay remains a major problem ahead of new season

The Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) will launch its new season on 3 September with a Gala Concert. The upcoming season will include new productions, ballet performances and concerts, as well as opportunities for young Latvian talents to perform on the main stage.

Speaking about the upcoming repertoire on the morning show "Rīta Panorāma," theatre director Sandis Voldiņš said that every viewer would be able to find something of interest.

The pay issue

Discussing challenges facing the sector, Voldiņš stressed that one of the biggest problems, both at the opera house and across the culture sector as a whole, is the lack of adequate compensation. According to him, the sector largely relies on the enthusiasm of people who work for low pay.

Voldiņš described this as one of the key systemic problems affecting the cultural field more broadly, not just the opera and ballet theatre.