ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE

LATVIA

Aug. 26 - 28, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra Summer Festival, Vidzeme Concert Hall, Cesis

The second summer festival by the Latvian National Orchestra is taking place in Cesis, offering a vivid, diversified, and exquisite programme for classical music gourmets. For more information on the festival’s programme go to: www.lnso.lv/vasarnica

Aug. 24 - Sept. 8, 19th International Sacred Music Festival, St. Peter’s Church, Riga

A traditional collaboration of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and Liepaja Symphony Orchestra continues for the 19th year featuring new authors of sacred music and selected Latvian choirs. For more information on the festival schedule please visit: www.koris.lv/festivals/

Aug. 31 - Sept. 11, Fifth Annual Gastronomy Festival, Riga

The fifth annual Gastronomy Festival, an opening fringe event of Riga Food 2016, invites all foodies to enjoy unconventional menus, special offers, and great discounts across Latvia. Diverse and complimenting taste buds, menus will cover the whole country as a huge network bringing to light culinary treasures and unveiling new food destinations. Gastronomy Festival aims to promote eating out as part of a lifestyle and culture, breaking the conception that dining at restaurant, cafe, or bar is very heavy on the wallet and offering an infinite palette of gastronomic pleasures. For more information on festival go to: www.gastrofest.lv

Friday, Sept. 2,”Vivaldi Rocks” concert by DAGAMBA band, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

Latvia’s hippest classical musicians play everything from Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song to the Game of Thrones theme song. Their performance is an impressive mix of rock, pop, and classical music. More information can be found at: www.dagamba.eu

Sunday, Sept. 4, Crafts Day, Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, Riga

Watch potters, blacksmiths, brewers, and bakers ply their trade the ancient way. Additional information is available at: www.brivdabasmuzejs.lv

LITHUANIA

June 9 - Sept. 4, “Without a Homeland,” National Museum in Vilnius

This exhibition contains photographs, documents, letters, household utensils, and handiwork made by deportees and political prisoners. These are authentic witnesses of the daily life of deportees and their attempts to live a dignified life, to retain their national identity and the faith of their parents. The majority of the material exhibits belong to the collections of the National Museum of Lithuania, and individual exhibits are borrowed from private individuals. The iconographic and documentary part of the exhibition is supplemented by the material from the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania, Lithuanian Central State Archives, Lithuanian Special Archives, Taurage Museum of Regional Ethnography, and private individuals. For more information please visit: www.lnm.lt

July 1 - Sept. 25, Jacques Lipchitz exhibition, Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum

An intriguing insight into the world-famous sculptor, this exhibition contains paintings, personal correspondence, documents, photos, and of course a selection of sculptures. One of the most important works of art represents early cubism. Organised by the National Lithuanian Gaon Jewish Museum’s Tolerance Centre, the show features works brought from the Georges Pompidou Centre and the Museum of Art and History of Judaism in Paris. Additional information is available at: www.jmuseum.lt

July 3 - Aug. 28, Christopher Summer Festival, Vilnius City and Lithuanian districts

The largest and one of the most impressive summer music festivals in Lithuania, which runs for two months (July to August). During this time, over 50 original concert events are presented to the public, taking place in different spaces in Vilnius and other Lithuanian districts. Various styles of music including classical, jazz, singing poetry, and pop are performed during one of the city’s best-loved festivals. Additional information on the festival’s programme is available at: www.kristupofestivaliai.lt

ESTONIA

June 6 - Sept. 11, Nargen Festival, various locations in Tallinn, Naissaar Island, and Haapsalu

This festival has been a major summer seaside success story since 2006, and has provided a big boost to Estonia’s music and theatre industries. Concerts and performances are held throughout the summer in Haapsalu and Tallinn, as well as on the unique island of Naissaar. The festival concludes with Part Days, celebrating Arvo Part’s birthday on Sept. 11 in Tallinn. More information on the event programme can be found at: www.nargenfestival.ee

Aug. 6 - Sept. 11, “City Agents” exhibition project, Contemporary Art Museum, Tallinn

This project looks into the exhibition space and the contemporary city space as sites of the accumulation of capital. It maps out current active agencies that gentrify the city and zooms in on artistic practices that expose and shape forms of social, ecological, and economic activation and de-activation of urban space. The project recognises the potential of contemporary artistic practices for rethinking spatial, social, and economic shifts organised by human and extra-human co-agencies in the public space. More information can be found at: www.ekkm.ee

Aug. 26 - 27, “We Love the ’90s” festival, Lauluvaljak, Tallinn

If you love the ’90s and the primarily dance and pop-music that helped define that decade, this event can’t be beat. The concert will feature such iconic performers as Culture Beat, Captain Jack, Dr. Alban, Alexia, Basic Element, Londonbeat, Army of Lovers, Vengaboys, E-Type, Scooter, and several home-grown acts. For a detailed event programme and tickets please visit: www.piletilevi.ee

Aug. 19, 2016 - Jan. 15, 2017, Juhan Kuus’ exhibition “The Measure of Humanity. 45 Years of Documentary Photography in South Africa,” Adamson-Eric Museum, Tallinn

Juhan Kuus (1953-2015) was an internationally renowned documentary photographer of Estonian ancestry who worked in the Republic of South Africa. The exhibition focuses on the three main creative stages in Kuus’ life, during which he documented the history of South Africa and the apartheid regime with a sharply sensitive eye, while telling deeply human stories, as Kuus considered himself to be an anthropologist as well as a documentary photographer. For more information please visit: www.adamson-eric.ekm.ee