‘Mariss Jansons: A Tale of Four Orchestras’, a film by Peter Maniura

‘Mariss Jansons: A Tale of Four Orchestras’, a film by Peter Maniura, tells the Latvian maestro’s story through the eyes of the four leading orchestras which he led.

The Riga Jurmala Music Festival today announced the commissioning of a documentary dedicated to honouring legendary Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons (1943-2019), due for broadcast in early 2022. ‘Mariss Jansons: A Tale of Four Orchestras’ will be directed and conceived by Peter Maniura, an award-winning television producer and director with more than twenty-five years’ experience in music and arts broadcasting at the BBC, the European Broadcasting Union and independently.

In addition to archival material featuring performances by and interviews with Jansons, new interviews with the orchestra musicians and others will provide insight into why Jansons was so profoundly appreciated both on and off the conducting podium. Latvian Television and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) have already provided support by filming and access to their rich archives; the list of partners will expand during production.

Peter Maniura, Director of ‘Mariss Jansons: A Tale of Four Orchestras’, said:

“Mariss Jansons was a great conductor and this new film will reveal fresh insights into the music-making and the man by delving into his relationships with the four great orchestras that were most important in his life, in four very different cities: Oslo, Pittsburgh, Amsterdam and Munich. His extended family - the orchestral musicians who played for him and the conductors who learnt from him - will furnish unique and personal perspectives on his musical genius and contribute new tribute performances to celebrate his art and legacy.”

Zane Čulkstēna, CEO of the Riga Jurmala Music Festival, said:

“The Riga Jurmala Music Festival is thrilled to commission this new documentary dedicated to the great Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons. Maestro Jansons was universally revered as one of the greatest of all conductors and a magical human being who transformed the orchestras he worked with and touched the lives of countless music lovers around the world. We are delighted that Peter Maniura is directing and we are grateful to the four orchestras who have so willingly expressed their support and involvement in this project.”

About Peter Maniura

Peter is an award-winning freelance tv producer and director with more than 25 years’ experience in music and arts broadcasting at the BBC, the EBU and independently. He strives to bring the widest possible audience to the arts, as a director and producer of documentary and live event programmes, as well as though digital media. Many of his programmes have won major awards, including a Bafta and an International Emmy for ‘Holocaust: a music memorial film from Auschwitz’, which he produced for BBC2. Recent productions include live-streams of the operas The Turn of the Screw and Fidelio for Opera North and concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra. Peter is also Director of the IMZ Academy.

The project is being developed with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation.