Nightly Letters to the Dancer
A magical concert performance – music that inhales the night and dances in the glow
This June, just a few days before the summer solstice, the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Kaspars Putniņš invite the audience to an extraordinary and multidimensional art event – a concert performance that brings together choral music, jazz improvisation, and movement.
For this occasion, composer and guitarist Matīss Čudars is creating a new work in which two prominent figures of the European music scene will accompany the choir: Arve Henriksen, one of today’s most sought-after and original European trumpet players, and Anders Jormin, award-winning composer and double bass player whose name is associated with the legendary ECM record label and collaborations with contemporary jazz stars – Jan Garbarek, Bobo Stenson, etc.
At the heart of the concert – Elza Leimane, one of Latvia's most acclaimed ballet dancers. She is the core of this mysterious message – the dancer to whom “the nightly letters” are sent as sounds and who responds in movement.
The concert will take place in the Riga circus arena, with the audience seated around the centre of the stage. This 360° format offers a special sense of proximity to the musicians, lighting and movement, allowing for an immersive spatial experience of sound.
Matīss Čudars is widely known as one of the most influential Latvian jazz guitarists of our time, praised also internationally. In his compositions, he blends the spontaneity of jazz, the structure of classical music and the richness of ambient moods. In this concert performance, he uses both his playing and composition to open doors to a world where choral music meets improvisation, allowing art to unfold in a controlled and planned way in the here and now – through the interplay of the moment and creativity.
Arve Henriksen has a distinctive sound – his trumpet seems to speak, often compared to a human voice. Henriksen is a frequent guest at the most prestigious festivals and concert halls in Europe. His album Cartography (ECM) has become a benchmark in contemporary atmospheric music.
Anders Jormin, on the other hand, has been one of the leading Scandinavian and Northern European double bassists for several decades, working with jazz icons such as Charles Lloyd, Tomasz Stańko and others. He is also a music professor and teacher respected in both academic and jazz circles worldwide.
Ivars Arutjunjans is one of the most prominent jazz musicians of the new generation in Latvia, who has also gained recognition across Europe, and is a true master of jazz drums. He has also received the Lielais Kristaps 2023 award in the category "Composer of the Year" for his music for the film Bezkaunīgie (The Shameless). In 2019, together with Matīss Čudars, he received the Zelta Mikrofons award for the trio Auziņš–Čudars–Arutyunyan's album Baltic.
Together, the artists vow to create a unique and unforgettable event, where the voices of the Latvian Radio Choir, the improvisations of world-class musicians and Elza Leimane's aerial dance will fuse into a unified artistic experience – just as the profane and the mystical merge and nature approaches its summertime climax.
Programme
Matīsa Čudara jaundarba pasaules pirmatskaņojums;
Matīsa Čudara, Arves Henriksena un Andersa Jormina mūzika.
Participants
Elza Leimane, dance
Matīss Čudars, guitar
Arve Henriksen, trumpet
Anders Jormin, doublebass
Ivars Arutjunjans, percussion
Latvian Radio Choir
Concuctor Kaspars Putniņš
