Summer Classics 2025: symphonic wind orchestra and organ at Riga Cathedral

Every August, Orchestra RIGA invites symphonic music listeners to immerse in the grandeur of wind orchestra sounds within the acoustics of historical Riga Cathedral. The annual concert series has become a signature music event in Riga’s summer event calendar where Orchestra RIGA and Riga Cathedral organ meet in majestic harmony. This year’s concerts feature two distinctive programs, each offering a dialogue between eras, styles, and sonorities. Under the direction of Latvian conductors Valdis Butāns and Guntis Kuzma, showcasing masterpieces from Bach, Mozart and Debussy to contemporary music composition master Rihards Dubra and Dutch composer Johan de Meij.

August 5 | 19:00 at Riga Cathedral
BACH. DUBRA. DEBUSSY.

Orchestra RIGA
Conductor: Valdis Butāns
Organ: Aigars Reinis

The concert offers a vibrant fusion of Baroque, Impressionist, and modern sacred music sounds. The program includes J. S. Bach’s E-flat major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 552, as arranged by D. Hunsberger, bringing out the full richness of the wind orchestra, and the Concerto in D minor — a transcription of one of Vivaldi’s violin concertos (BWV 596), showcasing Bach’s admiration for Italian brilliance, known for its rich and colorful timbre. Organist Aigars Reinis will also interpret Claude Debussy’s The Sunken Cathedral (La Cathédrale engloutie) — a haunting vision rendered in an evocative orchestration by Jean-Louis Roques. This is paired with Debussy’s ethereal Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, arranged for winds by M. Bašs, opening up new textures while retaining the introspective atmosphere of the original. The two works by Latvian composer Rihards Dubra — Toccata (for organ) and Awaiting the Dawn (for organ and wind orchestra) — create a contemplative finale: music that bridges liturgical tradition with modern expressivity.

August 26 | 19:00 at Riga Cathedral 
BACH. MOZART. DE MEIJ.

Orchestra RIGA
Conductor: Guntis Kuzma
Bassoon: Raimonds Gulbis
Organ: Kristīne Adamaite

The second concert in the Summer Classics series offers a colorful musical journey spanning three centuries — from the Baroque to the present day. A varied program that brings together the clarity of Johann Sebastian Bach, the elegance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the bold sonic architecture of contemporary Dutch composer Johan de Meij. J. S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major (BWV 596), here in a wind orchestra arrangement by R. L. Moehlmann. This piece is, in fact, Bach’s organ transcription of Vivaldi’s Concerto in D minor (RV 565), an inspiring example of Baroque-era musical exchange and admiration. Organist Kristīne Adamaite will also perform the imposing Prelude and Fugue in C minor (BWV 546), known for its grand, noble prelude and complex fugue. W. A. Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major (KV 191), written at the age of 18, showcases the instrument’s lyrical and agile nature, interpreted by soloist Raimonds Gulbis. Two of Mozart’s rarely heard organ works — the lively Leipzig Gigue and the delicate Andante in F major, originally composed for mechanical organ — reveal the composer’s refined expression in miniature form. Concluding the evening are Johan de Meij’s symphonic works The Red Tower and Echoes of San Marco, contemporary soundscapes inspired by history and architecture.

For over a decade, the Summer Classics series has presented wind and organ repertoire in concerts that reimagine classical works for modern audiences. With thoughtful programming and inspired collaborations between Orchestra RIGA and Latvia’s leading musicians, the concerts attract seasoned listeners and newcomers alike. Orchestra RIGA’s artistic team continually explores the boundaries of what wind orchestra can achieve in dialogue with the organ—an instrument that is both architectural and expressive, especially when placed at the heart of one of the Baltics’ most iconic sacred spaces – Riga Cathedral.

SUMMER CLASSICS concert series are presented with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation and the Riga City Council. Tickets are available at “Biļešu Paradīze” ticket offices, at the Riga Cathedral box office and online.