GALA GALANTE, THE THREE TENORS & FRIENDS
BALTIC AWARDS – FESTIVE CONCERT
August 17 at 20.00, Dzintari Concert Hall, Jurmala
On August 17, in the Dzintari Concert Hall, as part of a new significant event for the Baltic countries and all of Europe - the Baltic Awards, the concert “GALA GALANTE, THE THREE TENORS & FRIENDS” will be held.
The unique musical program "Una fiesta de la musica" will feature three world-famous tenors - Edgaras Montvydas (Lithuania), Liparit Avetisyan (Armenia) and Raimonds Bramanis (Latvia).
Opera diva Inessa Galante and outstanding tenors will be joined at the concert by many Latvian and foreign stars: the popular Latvian band DAGAMBA, the brilliant pianist Andrejs Osokins, soprano Elina Nechayeva, an expressive vocalist from Estonia with a wide vocal range, and bass Jenisbek Piyazov, an opera singer from Uzbekistan. Accompanying the performers this evening will be the brilliant Austrian pianist Greta Erharter-Sargsyan. The orchestra will be led by the renowned conductor Ekhart Wycik (Germany). Special guest – Maestro Raimonds Pauls.
Talented, bright artists will perform famous opera arias and beloved musical works from various genres, including jazz compositions and classical pieces presented in innovative arrangements.
The organizers were inspired to create the program by the legendary joint performances of the three greatest tenors of our time (Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo), filled thousands of concert halls and stadiums worldwide. Listeners will be treated to a brilliant performance of the legendary repertoire of the “three tenors”, including arias from some of the most famous operas. In addition, popular Italian songs (canzones), as well as beautiful Neapolitan melodies, will be performed on stage, which will transport the audience to the magical atmosphere of Italy.
This incomparable selection of musical works will captivate every listener in the hall and serve as a true gift for all admirers of beautiful music.
At the beginning of the evening, famous musicians, artists, businessmen and politicians, the nominees of the Baltic Awards, as well as numerous invited guests of honour from all over the world will walk the red carpet. Talented participants, brilliant performers, elegant guests will create an event with an unforgettable atmosphere, which will turn Jurmala into the Latvian Riviera.
Edgaras Montvidas is one of the most renowned Lithuanian opera soloists. He received his education in Vilnius and later joined the Young Artists Program at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Montvidas has performed over 40 roles with major opera houses, including English National Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Frankfurt Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Dutch National Opera, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Lyon Opera, Théâtre National de l’Opéra-Comique, La Monnaie, Strasbourg Opera, and theaters in Vienna, Berlin, Zurich, and beyond. He is also an active concert soloist, having performed with leading symphony orchestras across Europe, the USA, and Japan in prestigious venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Musikverein, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony Hall, and the main concert halls of London and Paris. He has released numerous CDs and DVDs that have received public acclaim. Montvidas has been honored with the Lithuanian Order of Merit by President Dalia Grybauskaitė, the Badge of Honour “Carry Your Light and Believe” by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, and the “Golden Cross of the Stage” Theatre Award for his portrayal of Werther.
Liparit Avetisyan, a celebrated Armenian tenor, is recognized as one of the most exciting lyric tenors of his generation. Currently the principal tenor soloist with the Armenian National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, he has performed roles such as Alfredo in La Traviata, Don José in Carmen, the Duke in Rigoletto, and Rodolfo in La Bohème, as well as tenor parts in Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. He has quickly gained international recognition, performing at leading opera houses such as the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Berlin State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Zürich Opera, Opera Australia, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Hamburg State Opera, Den Norske Opera (Oslo), Opéra du Rhin (Strasbourg), and Seattle Opera. Avetisyan has made several appearances as Alfredo at Covent Garden and Opera Australia, and as Rodolfo at Oper Frankfurt. The BBC Music Magazine praised his Cassio as “the most exquisite youthful heroic tone one could wish for.” His 2011 album won the 2021 Opus Klassik Award for “Best Opera Recording of the Year (up to the 19th century).” In 2017, he received the prestigious National Theatre Award “Golden Mask” for his role as Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon, and the Artavazd National Theatre Award as Best Actor of the Year.
Raimonds Bramanis is one of the leading soloists of the Latvian National Opera. He made his debut at LNOB in 2008 as Papageno in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Since then, he has performed numerous roles, including Belcore and Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, the Prince in The Love for Three Oranges, Ismaele in Nabucco, Alfredo Germont in La Traviata, the Duke in Rigoletto, Malcolm in Macbeth, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Thoth in I Play, I Dance, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Camille de Rosillon in The Merry Widow.
His repertoire also includes leading roles in Faust, Hamlet, and others. In 2015, Bramanis received the annual Latvijas Gāze Award for Best Opera Soloist. He has performed with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under Risto Joost at Leipzig Gewandhaus and Theater Erfurt, and sang the Duke in Rigoletto at the Hong Kong Opera. Bramanis has toured with the Latvian National Opera in Macau, and at the national operas of Tallinn and Vilnius. He has also collaborated with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra in Norway, performing the title role in Faust.
So-called “hooligans of classical music”, is one of the most popular bands in Latvia that has received many prizes and sold-out Arenas and concert halls. DAGAMBA fuses classical and pop/rock music creating passionate and breathtaking high-quality performances. The musicians dive into unexplored worlds of music. The musicians dive into unexplored worlds of music, which makes the music unique, dynamic, and powerful. Programs like "Bach Against the Machine", "Ludwig Van Rammstein", "DAGAMBA feat Tchaikovsky" will excite both classical and rock music lovers.
DAGAMBA has performed in more than 15 countries, performed at the famous Glastonbury festival two years in a row, and is also the only band from Latvia that has had a concert in New York's Times Square (2022). They have released six studio albums, all of which have received high recognition. DAGAMBA is the only instrumental crossover music band in Latvia that has achieved such great success both in Latvia and abroad.
Andrejs Osokins is an acclaimed Latvian pianist and laureate of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions, including the Arthur Rubinstein Competition (Tel Aviv), Queen Elisabeth Competition (Brussels), and the International German Piano Award. Critics describe him as “a fascinating personality with a rich and expressive palette of sound and a deep command of various musical styles.” In 2008, he received Latvia’s highest cultural recognition, the Great Music Award. Osokins has performed in renowned concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Kings Place, Munich’s Gasteig, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Opéra Comique in Paris, and Birmingham Symphony Hall. In 2018, he was named an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Elina Nechayeva, a charismatic soprano from Estonia, is gaining international acclaim for her artistry and stage presence. She regularly performs with top orchestras and conductors, including Kristjan and Neeme Järvi, Andres Mustonen, and Steven Mercurio.
Her solo performance at the Shanghai Grand Theatre’s New Year’s concert received high praise from Neeme Järvi, who called her a “rising star” and compared her to Renée Fleming. Critics have likened her expressive power and appearance to the legendary Maria Callas. Nechayeva has shared the stage with world-famous artists such as Plácido Domingo, Erika Miklosa, Ain Anger, and Dimash Kudaibergen.
Jenisbek Piyazov is a distinguished bass and People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan, Bashkortostan, and Tatarstan. A laureate of multiple international competitions, including “Best Bass” at the Giulio Neri Competition in Italy, he has performed at folk and opera festivals in France, Spain, Malaysia, Portugal, Germany, and Italy, including the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and an audition at La Scala in Milan.
His repertoire includes arias from The Barber of Seville, The Pearl Fishers, Don Giovanni, Giulio Cesare, Eugene Onegin, and The Marriage of Figaro, among others. In 2019, Piyazov became the first Uzbek vocalist to perform at Milan’s famed La Scala.
Ekhart Wycik is one of the most versatile conductors of his generation. Renowned for his broad operatic and symphonic repertoire, he is regularly invited to perform with top orchestras across Europe. He has conducted the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Halle, Berliner Symphoniker, Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Bochumer Symphoniker, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano e Trento, the Greek National Orchestra, and ensembles in Italy, Austria, Hungary, the UK, and the USA. His British opera debut with The Magic Flute at Scottish Opera opened its 50th anniversary season and was named one of The Guardian’s “Top 10 Classical Music Performances in the UK.” His Italian debut with Hänsel und Gretel at Teatro Comunale di Bolzano was named by OperaClick as one of the best productions in Europe.
The world-famous opera singer Inessa Galante was born in Riga and already, during her studies, she became a soloist of the Latvian National Opera. The owner of a rare, velvety soprano has performed in many prestigious opera houses and concert halls all over the world. Her voice has been loved by audiences at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, at the festivals in Montpellier and Saint-Denis, at London's Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, etc. Inessa Galante's album "Debut" received gold and platinum discs in Holland, and the disc "Arietta" was recognized by the BBC as the best album in the "Classical Music" category. Inessa Galante's music discs topped the charts in the UK, Australia, Korea and other countries. The singer regularly performs concerts for UNICEF and other charity projects. Inessa Galante is the founder of the Inessa Galante Charitable Foundation, over 12 years, she has served as the patron of the "Inessa Galante Talents" competition, dedicated to discovering and nurturing young gifted performers, many of whom have gone on to perform on the world’s leading stages and win top international awards. The muse and patroness of the international music festival "Summertime - Inessa Galante Invites" in Jurmala, and the initiator and chairperson of the selection committee of the new "Baltic Awards". The opera diva was awarded the Order of Three Stars, Dante Alighieri Prize, and is a laureate of the Latvian “Big Music Award”.
