Biography
Formed in 2006, the State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Riga emerged in Latvia’s capital as a compact ensemble devoted to repertoire stretching from the First Viennese School through present-day compositions. Its founding mandate centers on advancing Latvian chamber-orchestra repertoire, a goal realized through frequent commissions of fresh scores.
Normunds Sne has served as chief conductor and artistic director from the outset. The ensemble comprises thirty-four musicians, most of them young players receptive to unconventional projects; among these ventures are a Twitter opera drawn from online commentary on Baltic economies and a concert staged inside a partially abandoned Soviet airport. Programming typically interleaves canonical works with contemporary pieces under unifying themes or narrative arcs.
High-profile soloists such as pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, violinist Isabelle Faust, and cellist Sol Gabetta have appeared with the group, while guest conductors have included Paavo Järvi, Heinz Holliger, and John Storgårds. International itineraries have taken the orchestra to prominent halls across Germany, among them Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, as well as to New York’s Lincoln Center and Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw. In Riga the ensemble maintains an ongoing partnership with the Latvian Radio Choir under Sigvards Kļava, resulting in multiple joint performances each season.
Recordings appear on Ondine, ECM, BIS, and additional specialized Nordic labels. Its first project, released in 2007, united the orchestra with the Latvian Radio Choir for Peteris Vasks’ Pater Noster on Ondine. A 2012 ECM album, Arvo Pärt: Adam’s Lament, recorded with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, earned a Grammy. In 2020 the Sinfonietta Riga supported violist Maxim Rysanov on a BIS account of Vasks’ Viola Concerto.
Normunds Sne has served as chief conductor and artistic director from the outset. The ensemble comprises thirty-four musicians, most of them young players receptive to unconventional projects; among these ventures are a Twitter opera drawn from online commentary on Baltic economies and a concert staged inside a partially abandoned Soviet airport. Programming typically interleaves canonical works with contemporary pieces under unifying themes or narrative arcs.
High-profile soloists such as pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, violinist Isabelle Faust, and cellist Sol Gabetta have appeared with the group, while guest conductors have included Paavo Järvi, Heinz Holliger, and John Storgårds. International itineraries have taken the orchestra to prominent halls across Germany, among them Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, as well as to New York’s Lincoln Center and Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw. In Riga the ensemble maintains an ongoing partnership with the Latvian Radio Choir under Sigvards Kļava, resulting in multiple joint performances each season.
Recordings appear on Ondine, ECM, BIS, and additional specialized Nordic labels. Its first project, released in 2007, united the orchestra with the Latvian Radio Choir for Peteris Vasks’ Pater Noster on Ondine. A 2012 ECM album, Arvo Pärt: Adam’s Lament, recorded with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, earned a Grammy. In 2020 the Sinfonietta Riga supported violist Maxim Rysanov on a BIS account of Vasks’ Viola Concerto.
Albums
Horn Universe – Works for Horn, Tenor and Orchestra
2024
Andris Dzenītis, Platons Buravickis & Others: Orchestral Works
2021
Pēteris Vasks: Viola Concerto & Symphony No. 1 "Voices"
2020
Selickis: Paradisus vocis
2018
Ivanovs: Symphonies for Strings
2018
Saline
2018
Andris Dzenītis, Anitra Tumševica, Linda Leimane: Chamber Symphonies
2018
Ēriks Ešenvalds: St. Luke Passion & Other Sacred Works
2016
Arvo Pärt: Adam's Lament
2012