Event Guide

ESTONIA

May 26 – July 30, 

Exhibition The Artist’s Gaze. Self-Portrait, Tartu Art  Museum, Tartu

New exhibition named The Artist’s Gaze. Self-portrait is open in the Tartmus project space from May 26th. The self-portrait is a classical genre that has gone through several stages of development and has been used by many Estonian artists. The curator of the exhibition Tiina Abel states that even though the self-representation in art has changed over time, the self-portrait is now more popular than ever. This exhibition complements the larger collections-based exhibition The Eloquent Body. Tickets cost 2-4 Euros. More details are available at 

www.tartmus.ee 

May 31 – June 04, 36th Tallinn Old Town Days, Tallinn

Tallinn Old Town Days is the largest festival in the Old Town dedicated to cultural heritage and community. Various music, theatre, art and sports events are held during the five days for both locals and visitors. This year’s Old Town Days’ leading principle is “Young Old Town”. The year 2017 has been named The Year of Children’s and Youth Culture by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Based on that conception, the focus is put on young, cheerful, forward-looking, innovative and fresh- minded what and the festival organizers have tried to create the most exciting, interesting and entertaining program for all five days. “Versatility” will be the keyword for the program of the 36th Tallinn Old Town Days. There will be different musicians performing folklore, jazz and pop music on several stages, many theatrical performances, and handicraft and art will be on display. A complete program of exhibitions, tours and art projects from museums will be available. Everyone is welcome to the Young Old Town! Learn more about the festival at the official webpage 

www.vanalinnapaevad.ee  

June 01-04, Days of Narva, various locations in Narva

The most colorful event in June in Narva is City Days. Traditionally this event falls on the first weekend of the month. The program of the city’s main event is made in such a way that the residents and guests can take an active part in it, rather than just watch. The list of activities includes sports competitions, contests, concerts, exhibitions, artisan displays, a solemn procession through the streets of the city, theatrical performances, a festival of national cultural societies, a community walking tour, interactive programs, etc. For more details please contact the Festival organizers at +372 35 99120 or via 

[email protected].

June 02-03, Italian Wine Festival, Haapsalu

Come and taste fine Italian wines at the Italian Culture and Wine Days in Haapsalu. The event program will include home wine finals, performances by musicians and singers and more. The wine festival coincides with other exciting events: various museums and galleries, cafes and studios in Haapsalu will open their doors to the public. Meet interesting people, come and watch artists and poets perform, take a tour around the old buildings, each with its own story. For more details please contact the Festival organizers at +372 472 4470 or via [email protected].

June 10-11, Tallinn Street Food Festival, Telliskivi Creative City, Tallinn

Tallinn Street Food Festival is the largest and most innovative event dedicated to street food in Estonia. More than 60 food and drink places are open at the festival – cafes and restaurants in Telliskivi Creative City, food trucks, pop-up kitchens, and guest caterers from abroad. The 4th Tallinn Street Food Festival presents the hottest street food trends, new local and international food trucks, and introduces new alternative chefs. Since Finland has its 100th birthday this year, to celebrate it, a special, one of a kind, Finnish food court will be opened at the festival! The whole Street Food Festival venue is going to be bigger and more comfortable than ever before. The best street gourmet is waiting for you! More info on the festival can be found at www.tallinnstreetfoodfest.ee 

June 12-18, Street Art Festival Stencibility, Tartu

Stencibility is an international street art festival that explores the art of public space both practically and theoretically. It began in 2010 in Tartu, and now visits several small towns across Estonia as well. The name is a reference to the stencil technique. During the festival, various events introducing street art and graffiti are held that also include people outside the art circle. The program consists of workshops, site-specific installations, lectures, exhibitions, movie screenings, as well as street art excursions. Guided tours and street art maps are available. Full information on the festival can be found at 

www.stencibility.eu/eng/festival-2017/ 

 

LATVIA

 

June 01 – August 24, Summer Jazz in Old Town, Small Guild Hall Garden, Riga

Well-known and popular jazz melodies performed by talented musicians will be heard in Riga’s Old Town on summer evenings. Jazz must be heard many times before you suddenly get hit with the feeling. And then you do not feel time anymore. Improvisation between musicians and the audience creates an atmosphere of energy and feelings. The true emotions jazz can offer are like an oasis in the synthetic world of music. Please note that these summer concerts are free of charge. They start at 17:00 at the Small Guild Hall Garden.

June 02, Season Opening Concert, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

The impressive Dzintari Concert Hall summer season opening offers the best of Latvian pianists. Vestards Simkus has been the audience’s favorite for many years, a skilful master of both classics and Gershwin. George Gershwin craftily combines European academic music traditions with jazz, American lightness and culture. The Second Rhapsody for piano and orchestra is a rarely performed masterpiece and was close to Gershwin’s heart, “It is the best thing I have ever written”. The program also includes an entirely new star in the piano sky – Andrejs Feldmanis, the winner of the Inese Galante talent competition. The second half will feature Harijs Bass, the fierce grandmaster of jazz, and Raimonds Pauls, whose individual touch needs no comment. Both gentlemen become absorbed by the whirling, energetic rhythm of ragtime – the predecessor of jazz. Tickets can be purchased online via www.bilesuparadize.lv and more info on the concert can be found at www.dzintarukoncertzale.lv 

June 03, Symphonic Concert by Ricardo Muti and Luigi Cherubini Orchestra, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala

Performance by the world-famous conductor Riccardo Muti and his Cherubini Orchestra on the stage of Dzintari opens the Baltic Musical Season. The concert will feature Schubert's Symphony No. 4, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and Verdi's compositions, which combine virtuosity, artistry and brilliant performance of the classics. Maestro Muti is a true legend. Honorary Director of the Roman Opera, winner of the Birgit Nilsson highest award in the world of classical music, in the past – chief conductor and artistic director of La Scala, today – the conductor of the famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Muti formed his Cherubini Orchestra in 2004 from the best young musicians under 30, selected in the course of a most difficult artistic competition. Tickets can be purchased online via www.bilesuparadize.lv and more info on the concert can be found at www.balticmusicalseasons.com 

June 08-18, Riga Opera Festival 2017, Latvian National Opera, Riga

This year, the Riga Opera Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the festival has become a much anticipated tradition, widely praised by Latvian audiences, as well as foreign visitors. Each year, the Riga Opera Festival features the brightest productions of this and past seasons, a colorful Gala Concert, as well as the opportunity to meet talented Latvian singers and illustrious foreign soloists. The 2017 Riga Opera Festival, called Viva Romantica, will be devoted to romantic opera which the audience will be able to discover through a broad diversity of productions. Tickets can be purchased online via www.bilesuparadize.lv and the festival’s program can be found at www.opera.lv 

Open till June 19, Exhibition Experimental Sidestep, Putti Art Gallery, Riga

For the first time a group of accomplished Latvian artists will present a piece of jewelry that they themselves have made, while jewelry artists will present one of their own paintings. This unique exhibition is sort of a challenge for the artists – to step out of the usual frameworks of expression and try out new creative forms and techniques. The body’s adornment will always be jewelry’s basic function, but it can also be a sculpture, installation, or a performance. Gold, silver, jewels, semi-precious stones, beach pebbles, resin, feathers, charcoal, leather, paintings, paper and many other materials have been intuitively used by artists to state their conceptual or formal intentions. This shows that artists do not have an ambition to be liked by everyone. They have made jewelry that provokes thought, digs deeper, brings out a smile and instigates a provocation. Learn more about the exhibition at 

www.putti.lv 

 

LITHUANIA 

June 01 – August 31, Cinema under the Stars, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius. 

Selected by hands and hearts, Films Under the Open Sky have made a tremendous step and moved to a new, filled with history location in the yard of the Palace of the Great Dukes of Lithuania. Enjoy good cinema in a romantic atmosphere for the whole summer season. Information on tickets and movies is available at 

www.kinopasaka.lt 

Open till June 04, Exhibition Personal. Lithuanian Women’s Art 1918-1940, National Gallery of Art, Vilnius

Personal. Lithuanian Women’s Art 1918-1940 commemorates the 80th anniversary of the first group exhibition by Lithuanian women artists. It is the first comprehensive presentation of interwar art by Lithuanian women, and an attempt to de-marginalize some personalities of the 1920s and 1930s whose intimate and often realistic work is part of Lithuanian art history, reflecting the times and influencing their contemporaries. The exhibition focuses mainly on art by women in the first half of the 20th century, and presents paintings, sculptures and graphics from Lithuania’s Golden Art Fund from the first half of the 20th century. Visitors will see creative work by some little-known artists, as well as several examples of ‘small arts’. Additional visual and textual material facilitates aesthetic perception and provides guidelines for interpretation of artworks and art phenomena. The history of interwar women’s art is told through individual exhibits selected from national and republican museums, the artists’ families and private collections in Lithuania. The title of the exhibition Personal is an allusion to the ever-relevant discussions about the evaluation of work by women artists. Should it be characterized according to universally accepted artistic criteria? This approach argues that there is no male or female art, but simply good or bad art. Or is women’s art specific, determined by social circumstances and strongly influenced by personal experience? In short, is women’s art artistic or personal? How was the question interpreted in the first half of the 20th century? The exhibition hopes to open a discussion and draw the attention of the public today to the creative value of women’s art. The entrance to the exhibition is free of charge, and more info can be found at www.ndg.lt 

June 05, Opening Concert of Vilnius Festival 2017, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Vilnius

The Vilnius Festival is one of the most prestigious, solid and versatile classical music events in Lithuania and a major summer destination for music-lovers during the hottest tourist season. With primary interest in presenting classical music performed by established soloists, ensembles and symphony orchestras from all over the world, the Vilnius Festival also continues to promote contemporary Lithuanian music by commissioning new large-scale works, and offers a platform for jazz and musical theatre. The 21st Vilnius Festival opens with a concert which will doubtlessly be a significant and memorable event in Lithuania, as the country will host the performance of the opera superstar, Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca. Having conquered the world’s main theatres with her exceptionally beautiful voice and outstandingly intelligent musicality, Garanca is internationally recognized as one of today’s leading opera soloists. She will delight the Vilnius Festival audience with her performance of arias from operas by Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, Verdi, Cilea and Mascagni as well as Neapolitan songs. The podium will be graced by Garanca’s spouse Karel Mark Chichon, a British conductor collaborating with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerisches Staatsoper Munich, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro Real Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona and other world’s leading theatres and orchestras. Detailed information on the concert and ticket purchase can be found at www.filharmonija.lt 

June 08-11, 8th International Contemporary Art Fair ArtVilnius 17, Exhibition and Congress Centre Litexpo, Vilnius

ArtVilnius is the only contemporary art fair in Lithuania and the largest art fair in the Eastern European region. ArtVilnius, which had its start in 2009, was one of the most important events in the Vilnius – European Capital of Culture project. Over the last eight years, the art fair has expanded and become firmly established on the local and international art scene, as well as being on the list of must-visit events for art lovers. This is also confirmed by the statistics. Every year ArtVilnius hosts over 20,000 visitors, with about 60 art galleries from a dozen or so countries participating ((Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy and France). The applications of galleries wishing to participate in the art fair are reviewed and selected by a jury made up of art critics and art market experts, thereby ensuring the professionalism of the galleries at the fair. Detailed information on the fair and ticket purchase can be found at

www.artvilnius.com/artvilnius17

Open till June 11, Art Show Sketches in Disguise by Monika Jasnauskaite, Ideas Block Creative Space, Vilnius

Fur, nails, feathers, dazzling blue eyes – meet the characters from Sketches in Disguise art show by Monika Jasnauskaitė. 12 heroes, 12 different stories: from Schrödinger’s cat and golden ratio to cosmic odyssey and magic mushrooms. Be the first one to see these creations and get to know the artist! Monika enjoys using colored and graphite pencils, her drawings tend to focus on details and vibrant colored elements against a monochromatic background. Her graphic designs are used for clothing and postcards. Characters of Sketches in Disguise art show are a little bit different than her usual drawings – they are minimalistic, illustrative and sketchy. They were made in collaboration with the Lithuanian Nature Sciences Olympiads Association, ‘adVenture’ enterprise school and while she worked on her personal projects, during the period of 2012-2017. The entrance is free of charge.