Event Guide

ESTONIA

July 27-29, XVIII Mustjala Festival, Mustjala Parish, Saaremaa

Mustjala is not only the most forest-rich parish of Saaremaa, but also charms with its beautiful beaches, spectacular Panga cliff, ancient Tagaranna fishing village, and mysterious Tuiu iron furnaces. Culture and heritage are held in high regard here, folk costumes attract attention, unique wedding traditions and folk dances create atmosphere, and, of course, there is the heart-warming island humor. Thatched roof buildings and stone fences are well maintained and new life has been breathed into many of them. For decades, the peace and untouched nature have charmed artists and creative people, who have drawn inspiration between the junipers here or enjoyed holidays. The summers of Mustjala are full of the sea and music, wind and poetry, fishing nets and maritime images. Since 1995, a week in July has made the churches of Mustjala, nearby manor houses, sometimes also the beach and other exotic places like Ninase coastal defense battery, ring. Mustjala Festival has brought world renowned musicians and collectives to the rocky and rough beaches, and shown Mustjala the full beauty of music and the customs, tough will, and joy of life of coastal folks. Learn more about the festival and the program at the official web site www.mustjalafestival.ee 

 

July 28-29, Lighthouse Concert 2017, Ida-Viru County

Rannapungerja Lighthouse, which is located in Kauksi, will be hosting the Lighthouse Concerts for the ninth summer already, inviting music lovers from both Ida-Viru county and from all over Estonia. Guests can listen to beautiful music while enjoying the surrounding nature. The two-day mini-festival offers high-quality music from the performers of different styles – pop, rock, jazz, blues, and folk by well-known artists, as well as wind instrument music from the local Avinurme wind orchestra. Come and experience this versatile cultural festival with your whole family! All official info on the event is available at www.tuletornikontsert.ee and Facebook page.

 

Open till July 30, Jüri Ojaver’s Solo Exhibition “Men’s Shop”, City Gallery, Tallinn

Juri Ojaver (born 1955) is mainly known as a sculptor, although he has also displayed videos and paintings and carried out several performances over the years. At the beginning of the 1980s, a unique shop was opened in the rooms that now house Tallinn City Gallery, which exclusively sold men’s clothes. As a young artist, Ojaver designed the interior of the shop. In 2017, he is back in the same space, bringing Men’s Shop back at a metaphorical level – the works are connected to the life of men either as quotes or through men’s clothing. Using other men’s words, the artist addresses men’s health, life quality, mortality rates and cultural and memory traces left behind. More info on the exhibition can be found at Tallinn’s City Gallery homepage: www.kunstihoone.ee 

 

July 31 – August 06, Hiiumaa Dance Festival 2017, Hiiu County, Käina Parish, Hiiumaa Island

Taking place for the eighth time, Hiiumaa Dance Festival is a week-long festival of contemporary dance and theatre in Käina on the island of Hiiumaa. The festival offers both experienced dance enthusiasts and newcomers an opportunity to get acquainted with what is happening on the scene of contemporary dance and theatre. This year’s festival has a lot of tried and traditional, but also new and exciting. The continuing custom is holding the program of staging processes, in the course of which a dance film and three dance performances will be created. The creative processes will be conducted by experienced choreographers and directors from Estonia and from abroad. The premieres of the works can be seen already on the last day of the festival. Full information on the festival is available at the official page www.tants.org 

 

August 04-05, Intsikurmu Music Festival 2017, Intsikurmu Forest Park, Põlva

At Intsikurmu Music Festival, the best contemporary music of Estonia and promising foreign acts meet with the absolutely best festival audience in the mystical forest park. The mission of the festival is to promote intellectual and cultured ways to spend your leisure time. Intsikurmu Music Festival offers different genres of modern pop-alternative music by both Estonian musicians that give a modern dimension to the Estonian song traditions, and foreign artists that are introduced to the Estonian audience. Clean nature, good music, lovely people, high-quality food and drinks, an aesthetically pleasing festival area, special solutions, and performances – this makes up for the largest festival of arts and music in Estonia, the Intsikurmu Festival. To learn more about the festival please visit the official web page www.intsikurmu.com 

 

August 04-05, Leigo Lake Music Festival 2017, Leigo Farm, Valga

In 2017, Leigo Lake Music Festival celebrates its 20th year of activity. That is how many years ago the first lake music concert took place on Leigo’s small willow-fringed island. In addition, it is a privilege to celebrate the jubilee of maestro Neeme Järvi, in whose honor the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will perform at the festival. The last concert of both festival days will be accompanied by a spectacular fire show. The festival program will be updated and several exciting surprises are in store! To purchase tickets please go to www.piletilevi.ee and the festival’s program can be found at www.leigo.ee/festival/ 

 

August 04-05, August Blues Festival, Haapsalu

This summer August Blues Festival will take place for the 24th time. Over the years Augustibluus (August Blues), catering also for a more sophisticated musical palate, has gained remarkable public interest and received positive criticism in several music publications. It sure has established its status among renowned blues festivals in Europe. August Blues continues to attract with its absolutely positive atmosphere turning the small town of Haapsalu into a musical paradise. It is a must for everyone who loves good music. The main stage is nestled in the beautiful surroundings of the ancient Episcopal Castle, featuring both big names from the United States – the cradle of blues and Europe, as well as exciting projects from local performers. The daily program offers workshops, exhibitions and traditional acoustic concerts in the old railway station. Club 56 Blues in the Haapsalu Cultural Center will keep the jam going till the early hours. There will be over 30 concerts altogether on 8 stages, music can also be enjoyed in the streets and open- air cafes. Stay tuned and find out more at www.augustibluus.ee 

 

August 4-5, 20th Pärnu Guild Days 2017, The Mary Magdalene Guild, Pärnu Old Town

The Guild Days showcase the vitality of the handicraft tradition. Genuine and true handicraft is sold in the centre of Pärnu, and craftspeople from many local and international guilds demonstrate their work and skills. At the same time you will find the Farmer’s Market, where farmers and small producers sell produce in season. Entertaining musicians add to the atmosphere. Workshops are held for both children and adults. Please go to www.maarjamagdaleenagild.ee to get more information on the event.

 

LATVIA

 

July 27-28, World Jazz Festival 2017, various venues in Riga

 

The annual World Jazz Festival brings world jazz legends to Riga each year. This year, jazz lovers will be able to enjoy three festival concerts – a free open-air concert in the heart of Riga on July 27 at Dome Square, which will also be the festival’s opening concert. Another two evening concerts featuring world jazz stars will be held on July 27 at the Splendid Palace concert venue and on July 28 at Arena Riga. To purchase tickets please visit www.bilesuserviss.lv and to find out more about the festival go to www.worldjazzfest.com 

 

July 28-31, XXV International Sigulda Opera Music Festival, Sigulda Castle Ruin Open-Air Stage

For the 25th time, the open-air stage at Sigulda Castle ruins will host one of Latvia’s most magnificent annual music festivals – the Sigulda Opera Festival – where, as usual, music lovers will be able to enjoy performances from both Latvian and internationally acclaimed opera stars. In honor of the Riga-Gauja region being the 2017 European Region of Gastronomy, the region’s top chefs will also be at hand at the festival, serving excellent dishes to guests in the Sigulda Castle gardens. The tickets can be purchased online via www.bilesuparadize.lv and the festival program is available at www.opersvetki.lv  

 

July 30, Piano Concert “The Three Osokins in Jurmala”, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

An important event in the music life of Latvia – the Three Osokins are joining forces on the stage of the legendary Dzintari Concert Hall to bring a unique program for the satisfaction of classical music lovers. In recent years brothers Andrejs and Georgijs were touring all around the world performing in such prestigious venues as Berliner Philharmonie, Auditorium La Verdi in Milan, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Hall, Katowice NOSPR Hall, Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Qatar Opera House, as well as having recorded various solo cd’s highly praised by critics in Europe. Meanwhile their teacher and father, professor Sergey Osokins for his achievement in both pedagogical and piano performance fields, was awarded the highest honor of the Latvian Republic – the Order of the Three Stars. The program includes piano compositions and paraphrases on music by J.S. Bach, Ferencz Liszt, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergey Rachmaninov, which will be performed on three grand pianos, as well as orchestra. Tickets can be purchased online via www.bilesuserviss.lv

 

Open till July 30, Exhibition One Art Couple, Two Ages, St. Peter’s Church, Riga

 

The exhibition at the Rooster Hall of Riga’s St Peter’s Church features paintings and graphic works by the Lithuanian artists Nijole Vilutiene and Mikalojus Povilas Vilutis. The entrance to the exhibition is free of charge. Please visit the church’s official web page 

www.peterbaznica.riga.lv/en/news/ to get more information.

 

August 5, Concert by Kristine Opolais and Pavel Cernoch, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

 

Like a midsummer night’s dream – a true delight for opera lovers and fans of Kristine Opolais. The world-famous soprano Kristine Opolais will perform her only open-air gala concert in Latvia. The concert will also feature one of the leading tenors of his generation, Pavel Cernoch, and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by the expressive and talented Sesto Quatrini. The first part of the concert will feature arias, duets and symphony études – beautiful, unforgettable melodies to reveal the emotional grandeur and depth of Puccini’s early works. During the second part of the concert, in keeping with the tradition of open-air concerts, the two soloists will take the audience on an extraordinary musical journey from Tchaikovsky and Glinka to Bizet, Lehár and von Suppé. For more info on the concert please go to www.balticmusicalseasons.com and buy tickets online via www.bilesuparadize.lv 

 

August 5-6, Contemporary Crafts Festival, Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, Riga

Unlike the traditional Latvian June Fair, the August Festival invites the masters of Latvian arts and crafts who apply a variety of methods and materials, involving in their production of goods not only crafts skills, but also elements of technology development and modern design. The crafts combine the beautiful with the useful: artistic individuality, crafts skills and mercantile wisdom. The products represented at the festival have to reflect the demand of modern society for unique products and at the same time to show alternatives to uniform mass products. Guests from the Baltic Sea region will participate in the festival. Food products and catering services of the festival include modern and creative variations of the traditional Latvian cuisine and cuisine of other nations living in Latvia. A wide choice is available to guests. Also, for the second year, the Open-Air Museum will gather amateur theatre groups coming from small towns and parishes of all regions of Latvia. Performances will be shown both indoors and outdoors, on fields and in other places. The festival is organized by the Latvian National Centre for Culture in cooperation with the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. Learn more at www.brivdabasmuzejs.lv 

 

August 09-13, XIII International Music Festival Summertime – Inese Galante and Friends 2017, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

The Summertime Festival, together with the Latvian opera diva Inese Galante, invites all music lovers for a week-long festival featuring music stars from Latvia and around the world. The festival also highlights up and coming talents, as well as helps to educate the next generation of musicians. The festival’s special atmosphere is ensured by the involvement of patroness Inese Galante, who actively is involved in many aspects of the festival. The Summertime Festival has always been a welcoming one for both for the performing artists and the audience. The festival’s full program is available at www.festivalsummertime.com and tickets can be bought online via 

www.bilesuparadize.lv 

 

LITHUANIA 

 

July 27, Midsummer Vilnius, Opera under the Stars, Charles Castranovo, The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius

 

On 27 July, world famous opera star from the USA, Charles Castronovo, shall perform together with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Modestas Pitrenas, in the festival Midsummer Vilnius in the Grand Yard of the Palace of Grand Dukes of Lithuania, playing extracts from famous world operas and musicals. Recognized in the world, Charles Castronovo is one of the best lyrical tenors of his generation who has performed at the greatest and most professional world stages. His talent is charmed by visitors of the Royal Opera theatre Covent Garden in London, listeners of the New York Metropolitan Opera, Vienna and Berlin State Operas, Paris Opera Bastille and many more, and also Salzburg and Provence Ekso classical music festivals. Full information on the concert is available at www.midsummervilnius.com and for ticket purchase, please access www.bilietai.lt 

 

July 30 – August 06, Vivace Vilnius International Summer Music Festival, various venues in Vilnius  

 

Established in 2012 by Lithuanian violinist Egle Jarkova, the Vivace Vilnius International Summer Music Festival provides opportunities for promising musicians to advance their studies, and also to enliven the summer season in the historic city of Vilnius with world-class performances that are accessible to all. The admission to all concerts is free. Learn more about the festival at www.vivacevilnius.org