Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival

Continuing the tradition established in previous years of inviting audiences to special musical events during Advent and Christmas, this year marks the debut of the Collegium Early Music Christmas Festival – a concert series that will fill Riga's Old Town with the sounds of early music, Christmas songs and the joy of being together from 5 to 20 December. Festival concerts will take place at the “Collegium Musicum Riga” concert hall (Vaļņu iela 9-3) and St Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Church in Riga (Klostera iela 2).

The festival is conceived as a varied musical journey through Advent, offering events for lovers of early and classical music, families with children, and anyone who wishes not only to listen but also to become part of a musical event in the run-up to Christmas.

On 5 December, the festival will open with a storytelling concert for the whole family, “A Winter's Tale”, while on 11 December the vocal chamber music concert “Believing and Loving” will focus on the voice, music and the contemplative atmosphere of Advent. The concert features soprano Monta Martinsone and harpsichordist and conductor Māris Kupčs.

One of the festival's highlights will take place on 13 December at St Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Church in Riga, where the concert “Vivaldi. Musica sacra” will feature sacred music by Antonio Vivaldi. Performers will include the CSP mixed choir “Mediāna”, the mixed choir “Domino”, the chamber choir “Austrums”, soloists Monta Martinsone, Rūdis Cebulis, Vitālijs Stankevičs and Eduards Fiskovičs, and the Baroque orchestra “Collegium Musicum Riga” under the direction of conductor Māris Kupčs. Admission is by free invitation.

As Christmas approaches, listeners will increasingly become participants in the event itself rather than spectators. On 16 December, an evening of traditional and Latvian Christmas sing-alongs with the choir “Mediāna” and soloists will offer everyone the chance to join in familiar festive melodies. Then, on 20 December, the festival will conclude with the Christmas concert and sing-along “A Moment Before the Miracle” - a musical evening just before Christmas, when the boundary between the stage and the audience will all but disappear.

Festival programme:
5 December – a storytelling concert for the whole family, “A Winter's Tale”
11 December – vocal chamber music concert “Believing and Loving”
13 December – a concert of music by Antonio Vivaldi, “Vivaldi. Musica sacra”
16 December – an evening of traditional and Latvian Christmas sing-alongs with the choir “Mediāna” and soloists
20 December – Christmas concert and sing-along “A Moment Before the Miracle”.

Tickets and free invitations to selected festival events are available at “Biļešu Paradīze” box offices. Tickets