Mežotne Palace to mark 15th anniversary of Pēteris Vasks Foundation with anniversary concert

On August 15 at 7 p.m., the Little Mežotne Palace will host its annual concert "Pēteris Vasks Invites. Summer. Mežotne", marking the 15th anniversary of the Pēteris Vasks Foundation. Four acclaimed musicians will take the stage: violinist Magdalēna Geka, clarinetist Egīls Šēfers, cellist Kristaps Bergs and pianist Iveta Cālīte.

New work and Vasks' classic on the program

The centerpiece of the evening will be the premiere of composer Krists Auznieks' new work "Anima" for clarinet and cello. Audiences will also hear Pēteris Vasks' eight-movement piano trio "Episodi e Canto Perpetuo", composed in 1985, in which dramatic tension builds gradually across the episodes before resolving into a love-filled final song. The piece drew inspiration from Olivier Messiaen's renowned chamber work composed in a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. At Vasks' own request, the program will open with a piece by his fellow composer Arvo Pärt, "Fratres" for violin and piano.

Musicians with international experience

Magdalēna Geka is one of the brightest violinists of the younger generation of Latvian musicians, winner of the 2025 Great Music Award, first violin of the French quartet Quatuor Akilone, and concertmaster of Sinfonietta Rīga. Cellist Kristaps Bergs performed with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra at just seventeen and later studied in Vienna under renowned teachers. Clarinetist Egīls Šēfers, who also directs the Latvian Music Information Centre, has performed worldwide and is a member of the Danish wind quintet Carion. Luxembourg-based pianist Iveta Cālīte studied in Paris and Stockholm and has released several internationally acclaimed recordings together with Geka.