Europakonzert 2022 from Liepāja

On 1 May every year, the Berliner Philharmoniker present the famous EUROPAKONZERT (European Concert). Taking place in a different European city each year, the concert not only celebrates the orchestra’s birthday, but also Europe’s shared cultural heritage. The first concert took place on 1 May 1991, and EuroArts has been a solid partner right from the start, accompanying the orchestra on the inaugural concert and – indeed – all others since then. 
In 2022 the Europakonzert with the Berliner Philharmoniker under chief conductor Kirill Petrenko takes place in Liepaja, in beautiful Latvia. “Great Amber” is the name of the city’s Concert Hall, it has 1024 seats and is the largest concert hall of the Baltic.
The program is a show of solidarity with Odesa and Ukraine and stands for a peaceful coexistence in Europe with music by composers whose musical message is about freedom and self-determination. It starts with Pēteris Vask, whose music has a wholehearted emotional power that hits the listener right in the heart. The Latvian Vasks is present in person at the Great Amber Hall. His Musica dolorosa is followed by the Elegy for string orchestra by the Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov.
Latvia is known for the traditionally strong choral movement, as it is in all countries of the Baltic: the sung dream of freedom can be seen as a founder of national identity and a subtle form of protest. Born in Riga in Lativa, the mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča performs Luciano Berio's Folk Songs.
The Great Amber Concert Hall is praised for its excellent acoustics, ideal preconditions for the Berliner Philharmoniker, and their performance of the rhapsody of Taras Bulba by Leoš Janácek and Finlandia by Jean Sibelius.