News

Great Lent Chants

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” invites to a concert of the Great Lent Chants at the Riga Dome Cathedral on Sunday, March 29 at 19:00.

The program includes Orthodox Lent hymns and prayers that will guide listeners into a state of reflection, silence, and inner renewal.

In the Orthodox tradition, Great Lent is a time of deep spiritual preparation leading up to the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. The liturgical music of this period is distinguished by its unique ascetic beauty, the depth of its prayers, and its inner focus. The concert will feature both ancient church chants and later compositions by Orthodox composers, revealing the rich heritage of Eastern Christian music.

Performed by the choir “Blagovest”, the Lent chants reveal a special spiritual intensity, allowing listeners to experience a deep and personal encounter with the sacral music.

Information and tickets: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/en/event/166912

Christmas Concert

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:43:00 +0000

On January 11 at 17:00 in the Concert Hall “Ave Sol”, the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” invites you to an Orthodox Christmas concert - a musical event to experience the bright mood of the Nativity of Christ.

The concert program will feature music of various eras and styles - from Christmas chants and church hymns and choir concerts by A.Vedel and D.Bortniansky to winter scenes in the compositions of S.Taneyev, A.Snitke and R.Pauls.

Artistic director Aleksandrs Brandavs, conductors Oksana Čerkasova and Jānis Kokins.

The concert will be moderated by Irina Vinnika

Tickets can be purchased at the Biļešu paradīze: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/164044

35th Anniversary Concert

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 23:35:00 +0000

Celebrating their 35th anniversary, the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” and the choir's artistic director Aleksandrs Brandavs invite you to a festive concert at the Riga Cathedral on April 21 at 19:00.

The concert program, celebrating along with choir's anniversary also the brightest Christian holiday of hope – Easter, will feature specially selected pieces by outstanding composers: 18th-century Orthodox sacred music concerts by Maksym Berezovsky and Artemy Vedel, 20th-century sacred pieces by Georgy Sviridov, and Arvo Pärt’s emotionally moving composition for choir and symphony orchestra “Adam’s Lament”. But the highlight of the concert will be joint performance of Dmitry Bortniansky's sacred concert “Te Deum” together with the choir guests: the orchestra "Daugavpils Sinfonietta" (artistic director Jevgenijs Ustinskovs), the chamber choir "Accolada" (artistic director Oksana Čerkasova) and the mixed choir "Muklājs" (artistic director Jānis Kokins).

The festive concert will be a special musical event and a deep spiritual experience that will fill the vaults of the Riga Dome Cathedral and the hearts of the audience with hopeful harmony and soulful sound.

Tickets are available at https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/en/event/151706

Great Lent Chants

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 23:31:00 +0000

This year’s traditional Great Lent Chants by the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” will be performed on Sunday, April 13 in Daugavpils – at the concert “Easter Mystery” in the Daugavpils Unity House Concert Hall.

Along with Orthodox Lent prayers, compositions by Artemy Vedel, Maksym Berezovsky, Georgy Sviridov and others, the main event of the concert will be the performance of the emotionally moving composition “Adam’s Lament” by the outstanding Estonian contemporary composer Arvo Pärt together with the orchestra “Daugavpils Sinfonietta”.

More information about the concert and tickets: https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/en/event/151734

Concert On the Eve of Christmas

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:49:00 +0000

On the eve of Christmas, Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest”, its artistic director Aleksandrs Brandavs and conductors Oksana Čerkasova and Jānis Kokins invite you to a concert on 23 December at 18:00 in the concert hall “Ave Sol” (St Peter and Pavel Church).

In the spirit of the festive season, “Blagovest” will take the audience on its own characteristic emotionally musical journey, performing both traditional Christmas carols and folk melodies, as well as compositions by Georgy Sviridov, Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt, Selga Mence, Raimonds Pauls and other outstanding composers.

The musical journey will be led by Irina Vinnik.

May faith, hope and love shine in all of us as we await the miracle of Christmas!

See you at the concert!

More information: https://fb.me/e/28NuIDqNr or https://avesol.riga.lv/lv/jaunumi/svetvakars-adventa-laika-koncertu-cikls-gadalaiku-krasas-ziemas-gaismenas/

Free admission. The concert hall opens 45 minutes before the event.

Aleksandrs Antoņenko and choir "Blagovest"

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:30:00 +0000

An exclusive opportunity - the world-famous tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko and the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest" in the concert programme "Eternal Light" at the Ventspils Concert Hall "Latvija" on 14 April at 18.00 and at the Riga Cathedral on 28 April at 19.00.

New and unusual concert programme of sacred music "Eternal Light" on 14 April at the Ventspils Concert Hall "Latvija" and on 28 April at the Riga Cathedral performed by Aleksandrs Antoņenko - the most renowned internationally Latvian tenor, engaged by the world's largest opera houses, and the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest" - one of the best Latvian choirs, which for already 34 years holds a unique, important and recognizable place in the Latvian cultural space, combining at a high level of professionalism the best traditions of Latvian choral singing and the bright and heartfelt technique of performing Orthodox music.

The concert programme includes wonderful, but rarely performed Latvian contemporary sacred music works – composition "Easter" (Na Strastnoi) by Arturs Maskats (1957) dedicated to tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko, and the oratorio for choir, organ, and percussion "Lux aeterna" by Pēteris Butāns (1942-2020) for which the composer received the Great Music Prize; as well as other Orthodox music gems sung by A. Antoņenko and the choir.

Inspired by the poem of Boris Pasternak, Arturs Maskat's impressive composition “Easter” (Na Strastnoi) is – in the composer's own words – filled with "the miracle of resurrection, its power and majesty".

Pēteris Butāns' expressive and simultaneously meditative oratorio “Lux aeterna” (Eternal Light in translation from Latin) combines various sacred texts manifesting the presence of eternal light – the canonical text of the Requiem, the Old Testament texts of Psalm 5 and the verses of the book of Moses in Old Slavonic, the poetry lines of the Latvian poetess Aspazija.

The concerts will feature tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest", conductors Aleksandrs Brandavs and Jānis Kokins, Larisa Carjkova (organ), Uģis Krišjānis (piano), Edgars Saksons, Uģis Krūskops, and Ivo Krūskops (percussions).

The concerts are supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.

Tickets for the concerts are available at "Biļešu paradīze" outlets or:

https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/138121 for 14.04.2024.

https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/138122 for 28.04.2024.

Ecumenical Easter Music And Prayers

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 15:09:00 +0000

On April 10 at 12:00 in the Dubulti ev. lut. church (Baznīcas iela 13, Jūrmala).

Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest”, artistic director and conductor Aleksandrs Brandavs, conductors Oksana Čerkasova and Jānis Kokins, organist Edīte Alpe.

The program includes compositions by Johan Sebastian Bach, Alexander Boeli, Lūcija Garuta, Emīls Dārziņš, Pavel Chesnokov, Viktorija Poleva, Lesia Vasilyevna Dychko, Dmitriy Bortniansky and other composers.

Great Lent Chants

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 22:46:00 +0000

Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "BLAGOVEST" and conductor Aleksandrs Brandavs invite to the annual concert of the Great Lent Chants in the Concert Hall "Ave Sol" on Sunday, April 2 at 15:00.

Tickets are available at the sales points of “Biļešu paradize".

The concert program will feature compositions by Artemy Vedel,Alexander Arkhangelsky, Dmitry Bortniansky, Emīls Dārziņš, Lūcija Garūta, Georgs Pelēcis, Andrey Mikita, Victoria Poleva, Pēteris Butāns.

The chants of Great Lent are unusually beautiful, mournful and touching, but most importantly - they give hope.

Easter Concert

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 22:20:00 +0000

On April 18 at 12:00 - ecumenical Easter concert in the Dubulti ev. lut. church (Baznīcas iela 13, Jūrmala) by the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir “Blagovest” conducted by Aleksandrs Brandavs, conductors Oksana Čerkasova and Jānis Kokins, organist Larisa Carjkova.

The program includes composition "Pokayaniya otverzi mi dveri (Open to Mo the Door of Repentance)" by the Ukrainian composer Artemiy Vedel, works by Arvo Part, Georgs Pelecis, Pēteris Butāns, Eriks Ešenvalds, and others.

GREAT LENT CHANTS

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 01:10:00 +0000

Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "BLAGOVEST" and conductor Aleksandrs Brandavs invite to the annual concert of the Great Lent Chants in the Concert Hall "Ave Sol" on Sunday, April 10 at 18:00.

Tickets are available at the sales points of “Biļešu paradize".

As always, the program of the Great Lent concert will commence with Artemy Vedel's “Pokayaniya otverzi mi dveri” (Open to Me the Doors of Repentance), a composition that is sung only during the Great Lent and that expresses the essence of all human emotions during the Great Lent.

The concert program will feature compositions by Alexander Arkhangelsky, Alexander Grechaninov, Pavel Chesnokov, Arvo Part, Georgs Pelēcis. For the first time, BLAGOVEST will perform the works of Andrey Mikita, as well as the incredibly expressive composition of the famous Latvian composer Arturs Maskats "Na Strastnoy (In Holy Week)", inspired by the poetry of Boris Pasternak and filled with "the miracle of the resurrection, its strength and power".

The chants of Great Lent are unusually beautiful, mournful and touching, but most importantly - they give hope.

Do not miss!