Internationally acclaimed pianists will perform at the Concert Hall "Latvija"

On October 13 at 19.00, the concert hall "Latvija" will welcome piano virtuosos. The concert will feature performances by the jury of the 12th Riga International Competition for Young Pianists – Italian pianist Giulio Biddau, London-based Ukrainian artist Olga Paliy, renowned Polish pianist Slawomir Wilk, and internationally renowned Latvian pianist Arta Arnicāne.

This autumn, the Riga International Competition for Young Pianists will take place for the 12th time. Within the competition, jury members traditionally perform in various concert halls in Riga and outside the capital. This year, the jury of the Piano Competition will give a concert at the concert hall "Latvija" in Ventspils, offering the audience a piano music programme called "Portraits".

Giulio Biddau is one of the leading Italian pianists who received the "most outstanding foreign musician award" from the Argentine Music Council in 2019, an award that is rarely granted. He has won the Grand Prix at various international piano competitions. This season, Giulio Biddau is due to give solo performances in prestigious European concert halls in Rome, Paris, Berlin, and Salzburg, as well as playing with an orchestra at several classical music festivals. The concert series is accompanied by live appearances in Japan, France, and Australia on ABC Classics. In the concert, Giulio will play Mucio Klementi's exquisitely virtuosic sonata in F sharp minor.

Olga Paliy is a Ukrainian artist residing in London, and this season she has been successfully combining solo and chamber music activities with international music science lectures. Her repertoire includes classics alongside less frequently performed opuses by contemporary composers. She has frequently performed in her homeland, Ukraine, with symphony orchestras in Kiev, Lviv, and Dnipro. Olga Paliy is a laureate of international competitions and in 2017 received her Doctor of Music degree from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. She currently gives piano lessons in London and is on the jury of several international piano competitions. In this concert, Olga will perform a ballade by Claude Debussy and preludes by Ukrainian composer Vasyl Barvinsky.

Slawomir Wilk is a prominent Polish pianist who has gained international recognition at major classical music festivals in Europe and the USA. This year, his musical activities include a series of solo concerts in Polish cities as well as in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, and Australia. He has won prizes at numerous international piano competitions and has been awarded the Szczecin Special Prize for Culture and Media Science, as well as the prestigious "Artist Award" in Gdansk, Poland. Currently, Slawomir is a professor of piano at the Gdansk Academy of Music. In this concert, the Polish pianist will perform the enchanting piece by Carl Czerny, Fantasia on themes from Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro, and works by Polish composer Julius Zarebski.

Arta Arnicāne is a musician whose "playing has both flawless virtuosity and a wide palette of sound nuances, as well as the ability to surprise at any moment, thus captivating listeners for the entire performance" (Orests Silabriedis, magazine "Mūzikas Saule"). This season, the pianist has been performing in European countries, mainly in Switzerland, her chosen place of residence, in solo concerts and concerts with orchestras in renowned concert halls around the world, including the famous "Teatro Colon" in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Arta Arnicāne is the winner of 16 performing arts competitions, winning top prizes in Switzerland, England, Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic, which were followed by a series of invitations to perform at classical music festivals, contributing to her international recognition. She currently teaches piano at the Zurich Conservatory in Switzerland. In concert, Arta will perform the poetically captivating "Dainas" by Jānis Mediņš.

The concert is organised by SIA "Kurzemes filharmonija" in cooperation with the association "Riga International Competition for Young Pianists". Tickets are available in the ticket sales network "Biļešu paradīze", as well as at the box offices of the concert hall "Latvija" and the theatre house "Jūras vārti".

Please note that during the event, it is possible that there will be photography and video filming for the use of the organiser. The obtained materials will be used for publicity purposes on the websites and social media accounts of the concert hall "Latvija" and the association "Riga International Competition for Young Pianists".