SPRING FESTIVAL WINDSTREAM 2026
WINDSTREAM Spring Festival 2026
Presented by Orchestra “Riga”
March 20 – May 27, 2025
This spring, Orchestra “Riga” proudly launches the 14th edition of its annual signature event – the WINDSTREAM 2026 festival – under the motto “Awaken and remember, listen and enjoy!” From March 20 to May 27, music lovers are invited to experience five stylistically and genre-rich concerts across Riga, exploring the broad expressive range of wind music by Latvian and international composers, performed together with acclaimed local and guest soloists and conductors.
Traditionally, WINDSTREAM features five thematically and musically contrasting concerts: the festival opening, concerts on Good Friday and the Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Communist Regime, an Easter family concert for children and parents, and the festival closing concert, which this year is dedicated to contemporary Spanish music.
For the first time, Orchestra “Riga” offers a special SUBSCRIPTION for audiences willing to attend both the festival’s opening and closing concerts at a special, reduced price.
Festival Opening Concert
“MAESTRO UN MINORMAŽORS”
March 20, 7 pm at VEF Culture Palace
PARTICIPANTS:
Orchestra RIGA
Vocalists Ilona Bagele, Paula Saija and Raimonds Celms
Virdžīnija Laube-Vītiņa (percussions)
Oskars Petrauskis (saxophone), Romāns Vendiņš (piano)
Conductor Valdis Butāns
PROGRAM:
Songs and instrumental works by composer Raimonds Pauls, presented in arrangements for Orchestra RIGA and soloists.
On March 20, the opening concert of the WINDSTREAM 2026 will take place at the VEF Cultural Palace, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Latvia’s beloved popular music master, maestro Raimonds Pauls, and to his outstanding contribution to the development of Latvian music, including his enduring presence in Orchestra RIGA’s repertoire. The concert serves as a tribute and an expression of gratitude for many years of collaboration and countless concerts created together, celebrating the maestro’s remarkable legacy.
Music by Raimonds Pauls will be performed in orchestral arrangements by Vilnis Šmīdbergs and Jēkabs Ozoliņš, featuring vocal soloists Ilona Bagele, Paula Saija, and Raimonds Celms, alongside instrumental soloists Virģīnija Laube-Vītiņa (percussion), Romāns Vendiņš (piano) and Oskars Petrauskis (saxophone).
Festival Closing Concert
“PASODOBLE & SOUTHERN WINDS”
May 27, 7 pm at VEF Culture Palace
PARTICIPANTS:
Orchestra RIGA
Violinist Pilar Rubio / Spain
Conductor Óscar Navarro / Spain
Host Signe Lagzdiņa
The concert program features original compositions for violin and wind orchestra by conductor and composer Óscar Navarro:
Pasodoble “Andrés Contrabandista”
Overture “Centenarius”
“Latent Emotions”
“Alí y Cántara”
Each year, WINDSTREAM brings global musical perspectives to Latvian audiences, and this year the spotlight turns to Spanish music. On May 27, the festival invites listeners to a concert featuring the internationally renowned Spanish composer and conductor Óscar Navarro together with violinist Pilar Rubio Albalá. Conceived as an author’s programme, the concert presents Navarro’s original music, performed by Orchestra RIGA and violinist Pilar Rubio under the composer’s own baton.
Óscar Navarro’s music has been heard in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including La Scala in Milan, Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Vienna Musikverein. His works have been performed by leading ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, and the Spanish National Symphony Orchestra, among many others. As a conductor, he has appeared internationally across Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Navarro is also the founder of his own symphony orchestra and the music publishing company Óscar Navarro Music. He has received more than 20 international awards and nominations, including honors from the Hollywood Music and Media Awards and a Goya award nomination for his score to the film La Mula. Actively involved in film and television music, he is a member of both the Spanish Film Academy and the Latin Grammy Academy, underscoring his standing in the international music and film community.
Festival WINDSTREAM is made possible with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation and the Riga City Council.
Tickets available at “Biļešu paradīze” box offices and online.
Students and pensioners receive a 15% discount.
