Event Guide

  • 2019-02-28
  • TBT Staff

ESTONIA

Open till March 10, Albert Gulk’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition “The Night of the Large Butterflies”, Small Gallery, Tartu Art House, Tartu

The language of Gulk’s mostly black and white drawings is one of the most recognizable in Estonian art. His pictures are full of bizarre beings from other planets, animals acting like people and chance encounters from the artist’s everyday life. At the same time, the depicted situations and environments are never ordinary, and the strange events are spiced up with good-natured humour. Gulk himself has said that his direct inspiration does not come from dreams because they are too absurd and gloomy. Therefore, he tries to depict optimism and cheerfulness, and the surrealism in his works is actually based on a sharply wakeful consciousness. The exhibition will remain open until March 10. For more information on the exhibition please visit www.kunstimaja.ee 

March 01-10, ToiduNautleja.ee Restaurant Week, various restaurants all over Estonia

The Restaurant week of ToiduNautleja.ee, which was previously named the Estonian Restaurant Week, now also includes a vegetarian menu in co-operation with Taimne Teisipäev (Veggie Tuesday). The aim of the ToiduNautleja.ee Restaurant Week campaign is to revitalise the culture of restaurants across Estonia. There are 41 restaurants in the programme that offer their best dishes at a reasonable price. The participating restaurants offer their best dishes for lunch and dinner during this period for from 10 euros for lunch and 20 euros for dinner. You can see the menus and read about the restaurants on the event’s official website www.toidunautleja.ee

March 18-23, 16th Tartu World Film Festival, Estonian National Museum, Tartu

The World Film Festival is an event dedicated to documentary cinema. The festival develops interest towards an anthropological, analytical approach to cultures and societies, welcoming film entries from all over the world. The Film program focusses attention to cultural exchange as well as cultural representations of everyday life across the world. Detailed information on the festival can be found at www.worldfilm.ee and in popular social networks.

March 24, 25th J. Mravinski International Classic Music Festival, Concert House Geneva, Narva

The Cultural Department of the City of Narva has been organizing the International Mravinski Festival since 1995 in order to commemorate one of the most prominent conductors of the 20th century, Jevgeni Mravinski, who used to stay in Narva and Narva-Jõesuu. Musicians from Estonia, Russia and other countries participate in the symphonic chamber and choir music concerts. The ticket prices range 3-15 EUR. To contact the event organizers please email at [email protected] or call + 372 35 99120.

March 25-31, Tallinn Music Week, various concert venues in Tallinn

Tallinn Music Week is one of the biggest indoor music festivals in the Baltic and Nordic region that presents a line-up of around 200 artists from Estonia and abroad, representing various musical genres. The number of Festival participants from Estonia and elsewhere reaches 25,000. In addition to the main program of the Festival that takes place in the most important clubs and concert venues of Tallinn, you can also explore the lesser known parts of town during the Tallinn Music Week. Across Tallinn, City Stage concerts take place; you can also participate in the discussion series TMW Talks, the restaurant festival TMW Tastes and the contemporary art program TMW Arts. The festival pass costs 60 EUR. All official information is available at www.tmw.ee 

Open till March 29, Exhibition ‘Fragments of Pompeii’, Art Museum of Tartu University, Tartu

The Pompeii-style wall paintings of the University of Tartu Art Museum were completed in November 1868. The murals that will turn 150 this year are unique in both Estonia and Europe. The exhibition introduces the story of the paintings as well as the heritage of Pompeii in general. The murals are based on the prints displayed at the exhibition, which originate from the collection of the University of Tartu Art Museum. The display also provides an overview of ancient graffiti and allows viewers to get acquainted with the casts of artistic treasures that were buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius but which have been excavated by today. Ivan Aivazovsky’s painting View on Mount Vesuvius Before the Eruption that belongs to the collections of the Art Museum of Estonia provides a beautiful vision of Pompeii, and the piece is displayed in South Estonia for the first time. For more information please go to www.kunstimuuseum.ut.ee/en 

 

LATVIA

March 01, Solo Concert by Ilona Bagele ‘Cantando y Amando’, Latvian National Opera, Riga

Mezzo-soprano Ilona Bagele has established herself not only as a star of the Latvian National Opera, but also as a successful jazz and popular music singer. In her solo concert, she will perform songs by Argentinean tango composer Astor Piazzolla. To buy tickets online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv

March 01-03, Latvian Book Fair 2019, Kipsala International Exposition Center, Riga

The Latvian Book Fair is the key event of the publishing industry in Latvia that brings together Latvian and foreign book publishers, book sellers and companies doing business related to the book industry. In addition to books, the exhibition also includes intellectual games, in particular those that help develop reading skills, development and educational aids, as well as products for creative hobbies. For full information on exhibition please go to www.bt1.lv 

March 01-31, Valentyn Odnoviun’s Exhibition ‘Architectural Evidence’, Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga

The exhibition presents photographs of original traces linked with oppressive regimes of the 20th century in Eastern Europe through the “abstract” image. It shows how images can become evidence of an event and create a paradoxical perception. Revealing the power of the context they evoke in the viewer’s mind of the image concealed in the work. They call into question the relation between what we see and what we perceive in advance of the act of recognition. Valentyn Odnoviun (1987) is a Ukrainian-born artist, living and working in Vilnius, Lithuania. Having previously studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, received a Master’s degree in Photography and Media Arts from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2016. In addition to numerous exhibitions in Europe, he is the recipient of several prizes and grants in the field of photography. To learn more please visit www.fotomuzejs.lv 

Open from March 07, Mareks Gureckis’ Solo Exhibition ‘Imprints of Sound’, MuseumLV, Riga

The recent works of Mareks Gureckis over the past several years show his loyalty and fidelity to painting as an art in which narrative blends with aesthetic values. A passion for beautiful forms and substance has embodied the author’s desire to work with his favorite motifs again and again – the texture of piano imprints. Paintings by Mareks Gureckis are distinctive with a passion for color and light, which the author worships like a god inhabiting planes and lines. The entrance to the exhibition is free of charge. To learn more please go to www.museumlv.com 

March 11, Riga Show of the Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance, Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Riga

The show of the Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance in Riga will feature Russian, Greek, Spanish, Adyghean, Argentine and Jewish dances, as well as the ensemble’s new production Tango Del Plata, a choreographic picture telling the history of the tango from its origins to nowadays. For the first time in Latvia the dance ensemble will perform the Jewish dance suite The Family Joys, a true gem of the Moiseyev dance company’s repertoire. Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance is the world’s first professional choreography collective that promotes popular dance and artistic interpretation. It was Moiseyev (1906-2007) who first took the risk of combining folk traditions with classical ballet. This combination became the style of the world-famous maestro and his widely praised company. To buy tickets to the show online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv

March 11-17, Spring Sigulda Restaurant Week, various restaurants in Sigulda

As part of Sigulda Restaurant Week, guests are invited to enjoy three-course meals from a selection of restaurants in Sigulda and the surrounding area. Each restaurant will offer meal sets for two prices – 20 and 25 euros. The restaurant offerings will be made available on Sigulda social networks and at the restaurants themselves from the beginning of March. The organizers of Sigulda Restaurant Week kindly recommend those who wish to enjoy a meal at one of the participating restaurants to book a table ahead of time. For more information please visit www.tourism.sigulda.lv 

March 19 – April 20, 24th International Baltic Ballet Festival, VEF Culture Palace, Riga

The International Baltic Ballet Festival was first conceived of by Lita Beiris, one of Latvia’s most renowned ballerinas and an integral part of nearly all ballet performances in Riga in the 1980s. She organised the first festival in 1996 and has continued to attract incredible talent to Riga each spring from all over the globe. The festival’s motto ‘from the classics to the avant-garde’ ensures the latest cutting-edge choreography as well as star-studded performances of traditional ballet. The 24th International Baltic Ballet Festival will include professional dancers from the US, Austria, Russia, Germany, China, France, Turkey and, of course, Latvia. The traditional festival opening concert will take place at the Riga International Railway Station on March 19, where one will enjoy different styles of dance and the latest developments in choreography. On the same day, a photo exhibition dedicated to the Festival will be opened in the Gallery Centrs. On March 20, the Portuguese dance company Vortice will present performance of Dracula at the VEF Culture Palace. This show is a story of obedience and domination inspired by and characterized artistically by the music of Philip Glass, Sergey Rachmaninov and Lou Reed. “The legendary figurative interpretation of this legend and the unique characteristics of the personages with the bright and emotional choreography characteristic of this dancing company only will be a real pleasure,'” the festival’s director Lita Beiris admits. To find out more about the festival program please visit www.ballet-festival.lv and to buy tickets online please go to www.bilesuparadize.lv 

 

LITHUANIA 

March 01-03, Kaziukas Fair, various venues in Vilnius Old Town

The Kaziukas (St. Casimir’s) Fair is the biggest ethno-cultural event in Lithuania and the Baltic region. In 2019 the fair will take place in Vilnius for the 416th time. The fair is traditionally held in the city’s markets and streets on the Sunday nearest to March 4 (Feast of St. Casimir), the anniversary of Saint Casimir’s death. The St. Casimir’s Fair is a regionally unique ethno-cultural event dedicated to craftsmanship. Every year it brings together hundreds of local traditional handicraft artists who sell handmade items such as housewares, ceramics, knitwear, toys, woodenware and traditional Lithuanian dishes, food products and drinks. You can find many unique things made, created and/or produced according to Lithuanian cultural traditions. The most traditional purchases from St. Casimir’s Fair are ring-shaped or heart-shaped sweet rolls called Riestainis and multi-coloured arrangements of dried flowers called Verba. In addition, the St. Casimir’s Fair is a cultural event that fills Vilnius Old Town with folk music, dancing and even theatre performances. The fair usually opens with a special procession dedicated to Saint Casimir. For more information please visit www.kaziukomuge.lt

March 10, Concert by the Čiurlionis Quartet and Ralf Taal, Museum of Applied Arts and Design, Vilnius

In 2018, the Čiurlionis Quartet, a recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize, has marked its 50th creative anniversary and also offered a number of memorable concerts in celebration of the Centennial of the Restored State of Lithuania: having appeared in Aalborg (Denmark), Antwerp (Belgium), L’Aquila and Palermo (Italy), and various international festivals in Lithuania. The Quartet’s programs reveal its rich experience and artistic priorities, as well as active collaborations with international performers. This time the Quartet shares the stage with Ralf Taal, one of the leading Estonian pianists especially admired for his 19th-century music interpretations. He has recorded a CD Sound Magic featuring Chopin’s piano works. This afternoon the pianist teams up with Čiurlionis Quartet in Czech composer Antonín Dvořák’s Second Piano Quintet – one of the finest chamber music examples. In his solo part of the program the pianist offers the majestic Sonata in B flat major by his favourite composer Schubert. Written during Schubert’s last years, this composition is considered to be one of his most idiosyncratic and significant opuses, in which the swift musical flow is intertwined with lyrical emotion and tempestuous experience. For more information on the concert and ticket purchase please go to www.filharmonija.lt 

March 13-16, International Baltic Jewellery Show ‘Amber Trip’19’, Exhibition and Convention Center Litexpo, Vilnius

Like every year, in spring, the International Baltic Jewellery Show Amber Trip invites everyone to Vilnius, the jewellery capital of the Baltic states. The only jewellery event in the Baltic states is attended by professional jewellers and designers, as well as by manufacturers of technological equipment and devices. The event includes the presentation of the latest technologies in the jewellery industry, trends in the amber jewellery and crafts market, and the latest works of professional jewellers around the world. Around 60 percent of the exhibition is devoted to jewellery and around 40 percent – to amber. To learn more and to buy tickets please visit www.litexpo.lt 

March 18, Concert by Daniel Kemish ‘Under the Same Sky’, St. Catherine’s Church, Vilnius

If he had the opportunity chance to choose, he would have liked to have been born in the America of the cowboys. Instead, as a “restless soul, embodied on the wrong continent” is how Daniel Kemish jokingly describes his predicament. A Brit in love with Americana (music from America, spanning country, rock, folk, gospel, as well as other elements), who spends most of his time on the road, where his song lyrics and catchy melodies are usually born from real-life stories. Having recorded his album at the world-famous Ocean Way Studios in Nashville (USA) in 2016, he went on to spend a month in 2017 in total isolation, with no links to the outside world in a mountain hut in Austria. The result of this kind of dedication to his work is very personal indeed, an intimate new album Under The Same Sky, which the performer shall present in Vilnius. A warm, softly gravelly voice, lyrics that are not banal, and melodies that you want to hum to yourself again, and again and again... Tickets can be purchased online via www.tiketa.lt 

March 20, Pop & Rock Stars Concert by the Archi Quartett, White Piano Hall, Vilnius

Ed Sheeran or MUSE? M. Jackson or Nirvana? Maybe Lady Gaga? Who is the brightest star in the sky of popular music? On March 20, the entire host of pop and rock stars will reign in the White Piano hall – works by famous performers will be performed by the string quartet “Archi Quartett”. Beautiful love songs, unforgettable classic rock and hits from contemporary music tops. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tiketa.lt and www.teatrai.lt