Bach and the Jubilarians. Vasks, Kalējs, Zemzaris

In the spring of 2026, Rīgas Doms will become the home of an important organ music celebration, marking the anniversaries of three outstanding Latvian composers — Pēteris Vasks (80), Imants Zemzaris (75), and Aivars Kalējs (75). They are universally recognized classics whose contribution to Latvia’s culture is invaluable.
The music of Pēteris Vasks has been widely performed around the world for several decades, becoming a symbol of spiritual strength and love. Aivars Kalējs, himself an active organist and prolific composer, is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary organ music; his works are included in the repertoire of outstanding foreign organists as well. Meanwhile, Imants Zemzaris, with his picturesque and poetic sound world, holds a special place in the landscape of Latvian music.

Eight outstanding Latvian organists will perform nearly all the organ music composed so far by the jubilarians in seven concerts — a significant and unprecedented event in Latvia’s concert life.

On 27 March, cellist Guna Šnē and organist Ilze Reine will perform, highlighting the dialogue between the cello’s warm timbre and the spatial grandeur of the organ sound. The program is permeated with moods of hope, evening stillness, and inner light.
These qualities will be heard in Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in C minor for organ and the Cello Suite No. 3 for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, in Pēteris Vasks’ dedicatory homage to Arvo Pärt, Viatore, in Zemzaris’ In the Moonlight for cello and organ, and in Aivars Kalējs’ Prayer.