Liepaja Symphony Orchestra
The Liepaja (LEE-a-pie) Symphony Orchestra, founded in the early 1880s, is the oldest orchestra not only in Latvia, but in the Baltic region. Since 1986, when it achieved full professional status, it has expanded its musical reach through recordings and international tours. The orchestra's website states that it was founded in 1881; the year 1883 has also been given. Its founder was conductor Hanss Hohapfel, and its 37 musicians found success playing to the crowds who frequented the seaside resort town of Liepaja in warmer months. Performances were suspended during World War II, but resumed in 1947 under the auspices of the Music School of Liepaja; the new conductor, Valdis Vikmanis, remained in the post until 1987. The full professionalization of the orchestra around that time -- it was only the second such orchestra in Latvia -- began a new period of growth. The conductors Laimonis Trubs (1986-1996) and Jekabs Ozolins (1987-2008), and artistic director Imants Resnis (1992-2009), led the orchestra on tours of Spain, Malaysia, Britain, Sweden (multiple times), Germany, Austria, and Poland. Resnis spearheaded the 2010 founding of the International Piano Stars Festival (later the Liepaja International Stars Festival), which brought world-class soloists to Liepaja to perform and raised the orchestra's profile. Atvars Lakstigala became chief conductor in 2010 and shepherded the orchestra into its new concert hall -- the so-called Great Amber. He was succeeded in 2017 by Lithuanian conductor Gintaras Rinkevicius. The orchestra's growing prominence has led to an increasingly busy recording schedule. After releasing the 2014 album Kurland Sounds, featuring Latvian orchestral works, the orchestra has recorded for the Toccata Classics and Wergo labels, focusing on little-known music by Josef Schelb, Peteris Vasks, Charles O'Brien, and Fridrich Bruk. In 2018, Toccata Classics issued an album of music by 20th century English composer William Wordsworth, conducted by John Gibbons.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Lūcija Garūta: Music for Piano
Reinis Zariņš, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Atvars Lakstīgala
Classical - Released by SKANI on Jun 15, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vasks: Flute Concerto & Symphony No. 3
Classical - Released by wergo on Oct 7, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nixon: Complete Orchestral Music, Vol. 3
Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra, Ana Török, Nagy Ferenc, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Paul Mann
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Jun 5, 2020
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
Jean Sibelius, Christian Lindberg, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on Apr 11, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Imants Kalninš: Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Classical - Released by SKANI on Feb 5, 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruk: Orchestral Music, Vol. 1
Gertruda Jerjomenko, Anda Eglīte, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Maris Kupčs
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Feb 16, 2018
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
David Hackbridge Johnson: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Kārlis Catlaks, Paul Mann, Kristaps Catlaks
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Apr 5, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Weinberg: Trumpet Concerto in B-flat Major, Op. 94
Christian Lindberg, Mieczysław Weinberg, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Sergei Nakariakov
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on Nov 7, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vasks: Sala / Musica appassionata / Credo
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Atvars Lakstīgala
Classical - Released by wergo on Jun 12, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Spoliansky: Orchestral Music
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Paul Mann
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Apr 1, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kārlis Lācis: Piano Concerto, Latvian Symphony
Classical - Released by SKANI on Feb 18, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Arnold: Orchestral Music
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Anna Gorbachyova-Ogilvie, John Gibbons
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Oct 1, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wordsworth: Orchestral Music, Vol. 2
Arta Arnicane, Kamila Bydlowska, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, John Gibbons
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Aug 2, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Flowering Jasmine
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Guntis Kuzma
Classical - Released by SKANI on Mar 4, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kancheli: Styx; Tavener: The Myrrh-Bearer
Classical - Released by Onyx Classics on Aug 24, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Richard Flury: Orchestral Music, Vol. 2
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Alexandre Dubach, Paul Mann
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Aug 6, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wordsworth: Orchestral Music, Vol. 4
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Līga Baltābola, John Gibbons, William Wordsworth
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Jan 21, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Derek B. Scott: Orchestral Music, Vol. 2
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Paul Mann
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Jul 1, 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wordsworth: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3
Florian Arnicans, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, John Gibbons
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on May 7, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
O'Brien: Complete Orchestral Music, Vol. 3
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Paul Mann
Classical - Released by Toccata Classics on Jan 20, 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony No. 2, Mystery of His Birth
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra, Atvars Lakstīgala
Classical - Released by SKANI on May 8, 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo