PREMIERE OF "CHRISTINA CYCLE" BY KLAS TORSTENSSON

"Sinfonietta Riga, led by conductor Normunds Šnē, gives an impeccable performance, delicately accentuating the airy nature of the score with rich tonal variation and nuanced dynamics,” writes the Dutch theatre website Theaterkrant in their review of Sinfonietta Riga's performance at the Rotterdam Opera Days (Operdagen Rotterdam), where the orchestra premiered the final opus of the "Christina Cycle" by Swedish-Dutch composer Klas Torstensson. The composition is dedicated to a prominent historical figure – the 17th century Queen of Sweden, Christina Wasa. In 1654 she converted to Catholicism, abdicated the throne and moved to Rome, devoting the rest of her life to patronage of the arts.

Led by conductor Normunds Šnē, Sinfonietta Riga musicians ascended the stage of Rotterdam's De Doelen concert hall on 22 May, together with soprano Charlotte Riedijk and violinist Joseph Puglia. The concert also featured the Renaissance music ensemble Consensus Vocalis, based in the Netherlands, who performed the works by Carlo Gesualdo, Claudio Monteverdi and other Renaissance composers.

On 24 May the programme was once again performed at the Amsterdam's Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ hall. The concert was broadcast live on Netherlands public broadcaster – classical music radio channel NPO Radio 4.

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