Riga Jurmala Music Festival brings together Mikhail Pletnev and Daniel Lozakovich for their first concert together

The Riga Jurmala Music Festival has announced that its second weekend will now feature the first-ever collaboration between the renowned Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev and the up-and-coming Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich.

On Saturday 7 August the duo will interpret a programme of Schumann, Schubert and Franck at the Great Guild in Riga. Pletnev will also appear on Monday 9 August as the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1 with conductor Yuri Temirkanov and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Great Amber Concert Hall in Liepaja, a concert presented in cooperation with the Festival’s partner, Uniting History.

Following the withdrawal from the Festival by pianist George Li for COVID-19-related reasons, the Festival secured Pletnev’s return, this time behind the keyboard instead of on the conducting podium. Li’s solo recital on Saturday at noon has been replaced by the duet recital he was scheduled to perform with Lozakovich, which was originally scheduled for a special Thursday evening slot.

Gold Medal and First Prize winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano at age 21, Mikhail Pletnev has been long recognised as one of the world’s greatest pianists as well as a highly accomplished conductor and composer (his arrangement of Prokofiev’s Cinderella recorded with Martha Argerich won a Grammy). Pletnev returns to the Riga Jurmala Music Festival, having appeared in its inaugural edition in 2019 conducting the Russian National Orchestra. He founded it in 1990 as the first independent orchestra in Russia’s history, soon taking its place among the world’s finest ensembles.

Daniel Lozakovich made his solo debut with the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra aged 9 and has performed with some of the leading orchestras and conductors ever since. At 15 he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon; his 2018 Bach release reached number 1 in the German classical album charts.

“Daniel was scheduled to appear at the Festival last year, so I was very happy that we succeeded in inviting him back so soon. He is a young artist that I have supported for a long time and I am looking forward to our audiences witnessing his playing,” says Martin T:son Engstroem, Artistic Director of the Riga Jurmala Music Festival. “To have unexpectedly paired him with the legendary pianist and veritable Renaissance man that is Mikhail Pletnev is a dream come true for me, so I can only begin to imagine what it must mean to Daniel.”

Information for ticket holders

Refunds will be given to those whose performances have been cancelled.

Consistent with the Riga Jurmala Music Festival’s policy of prioritizing the health and safety of the audience, the artists and the staff, the Festival has decided that for the first weekend (16 to 18 July) it will allow admission exclusively to ticketholders who provide proof of full vaccination at least 14 days prior or a positive COVID-19 PCR test dated within the last 180 days from which they have recovered. Proof can be provided by a valid EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate in a digital or paper form; for non-EU residents, the Festival will also accept all other proof approved by the Latvian Government. This decision will offer the most unrestricted performance experience to audiences since members of the public will not be required to wear masks or to adhere to social distancing measures. As a result, capacities at all concerts are increased to 100%.

Existing ticket holders have already been advised about the change in the admission procedure and given the option to be reimbursed. The Festival will continue to monitor the situation and adjust its ticketing policies in accordance with government regulations. It will announce its decisions regarding admission at least 14 days before each subsequent weekend of this summer’s Riga Jurmala Music Festival. More information about the ticketing policy can be found on the website of the Festival: www.riga-jurmala.com