Press Conference Announces Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerts in Riga, Conducted by Andris Nelsons

Today, on October 8, a press conference was held at the “Osiris” restaurant, where the upcoming Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) concerts in Riga, conducted by Andris Nelsons, were announced. This will be BSO’s first-ever visit to Latvia, marking a significant event for both the local and international music community. The press conference was attended by BSO’s Music Director and conductor Andris Nelsons, Artistic Director of the Andrejs Žagars Cultural Development Foundation, Arturs Maskats, and Chairman of the Board of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Sandis Voldiņš.

The concerts in Riga will take place on May 11 and 12, 2025, at the Latvian National Opera and are part of the BSO’s European tour dedicated to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death. These concerts are organized by the Andrejs Žagars Cultural Development Foundation, offering the Latvian audience a unique opportunity to experience the exquisite sound of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Andris Nelsons.

These concerts will feature a diverse and emotionally rich program. The May 11 concert will present Shostakovich’s Sixth and Eighth Symphonies, while the May 12 concert will feature Shostakovich’s Fifteenth Symphony and the First Violin Concerto, with acclaimed Latvian violinist Baiba Skride as the soloist.

During the press conference, Andris Nelsons shared his excitement about the upcoming concerts in Riga:
“The musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and I are thrilled to perform in my hometown. I am incredibly happy to bring the BSO to Riga—this has been a dream come true. I’ve had the opportunity to perform in Latvia before, with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and in 2018 with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and now I am especially proud to introduce the Latvian audience to the magnificent artistry of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Riga holds a special place in my heart, as my daughter studies here, my parents live here, and this is where my musical journey began.”

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s European tour, starting in Vienna and concluding with an eight-day residency at the Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig, will allow audiences to enjoy Shostakovich’s diverse and emotionally charged music, which is highly cherished by both the BSO musicians and conductor Andris Nelsons.

Ticket sales for the Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts in Riga will begin in December of this year.

To learn more about the concerts and other projects of the Andrejs Žagars Cultural Development Foundation, follow us on Facebook: Andreja Žagara Kultūras attīstības fonds or visit our website: zagarafonds.lv.