The tickets for performances of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet in November and December are on sale. As part of the centenary celebrations of the Latvian National Ballet, a series of special events will be offered. Among them is the premiere of the ballets "Serenade" and "Carmina Burana", a film showcase dedicated to the ballet and a Gala Concert "Latvian National Ballet 100". The soprano Tatiana Trenogina and pianist Māris Skuja will offer a special concert program, but at the end of the year we invite you to indulge the festive atmosphere of the New Year Gala at the Opera and ballet "The Nutcracker".

In the evening of November 5, two 20th and 21st century classics – George Balanchine’s ballet “Serenade” and Edward Clug’s contemporary choreography for Carl Orff's oratorio “Carmina Burana” – will meet on the Grand Stage of the Latvian National Opera.

George Balanchine is considered the most influential classical ballet choreographer of the 20th century and the founder of neo-classical ballet. His ballet “Serenade” is one of the cornerstones of dance history. This visually poetic choreography is based on Peter Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra in C Major and was first performed in 1934 by students of the School of American Ballet at the estate of Felix Warburg outside of New York City.  It is Mr. Balanchine’s most performed ballet, licensed to this day by schools as well as ballet companies all over the world.

Edward Clug's contemporary choreography is based on the legendary oratorio “Carmina Burana” by German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982), which illustrates the twists and turns of human life subject to the whims of fate. The main visual element in Edward Clug’s choreography is the circle – the simplest and at the same time the most complete natural form. “Carmina Burana” premiered at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal in October 2019. The LNO orchestra, choir and soloists will also take part in this grand production by the Latvian National Ballet.

Three Sundays in November will be devoted to the event cycle “Cinema and Ballet”, the showcase of new and older films. The showcase will begin on November 6th with the program “Ballet Constellation” – short films by the students of the Latvian Academy of Culture National Film School, showing film portraits of former stars of the Latvian National Ballet. The program will be continued on November 13th with events “Prima Ballerinas” (films about Helēna Tangijeva-Birzniece and Anna Priede) and “Pricipal Dancers” (films about Aleksandrs Lembergs and Aleksejs Avečkins). The showcase will end on November 20th with event “Before the Curtain” – premiere of the ballet short films, created by directors Katrīna Neiburga, Ineta Sipunova, Ivars Zviedris, Juris Paklniņš and Uģis Olte.

The culmination of the centennial celebrations of the Latvian National Ballet will be on December 1st with the Gala Concert. The best dancers of the Latvian National Ballet will be joined on the stage by guest artists – Latvian ballet dancers working abroad: Evelīna Godunova, soloist of the Berlin State Ballet, and Timofej Andrijashenko, principal dancer of the Milan La Scala Ballet, and their stage partners. The concert in three parts will reveal the diverse repertoire of the Latvian National Ballet, from classical and neoclassical to modern and contemporary ballet, from the works of world-famous choreographers to contemporary Latvian choreography.

Two earlier productions will return to the stage of LNO in November: performances of the opera “I played, I danced” by Imants Kalniņš (Stage Director Laura Groza, Music Director Mārtiņš Ozoliņš) will be on November 8, 17 and 19, but Richard Wagner’s opera “Der Fliegende Holländer” (Stage Director Viesturs Kairišs, Music Director Mārtiņš Ozoliņš) will be shown on November 23 and December 2 with Egils Siliņš singing the title role.

Tatiana Trenogina, soloist of the Latvian National Opera, and pianist Māris Skuja invite to a special concert in the New Hall on December 9th. The concert program will feature the vocal music by Richard Strauss.

At the end of the year, from December 27 to 30, we invite to the audience's favorite events – New Year Gala at the Opera and performances of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker".

Calendar and tickets for the events in November are available HERE.

Calendar and tickets for the events in December are available HERE.