ARĒNA 2024

Drawing attention to the diversity of contemporary sound art and inviting the brightest domestic and foreign musicians and collectives to perform in one arena, the new music festival "Arena" continues to boldly invite to hear the future since 2002! Over the course of more than 20 years, its amazing color has resonated compellingly in an intimate chamber atmosphere, in its symphonic wide scope, suggested in electroacoustic sound art and appealed in cross-genre projects, seduced in jazz moods, surprised in stage works and moved in the splendor of vocal music. Along with the future, the heritage of the past has always been extremely important, which is why masterpieces of contemporary music have always been widely recognized in the focus of the "Arena" festival, alongside which specially commissioned latest opus of domestic bands have been given the opportunity to flourish.

"Arena" resolutely continues these carefully nurtured traditions this fall as well, gathering listeners to concerts, talks and other non-musical events from October 18 to 25. This time, the festival looks towards the cosmos and invites you to creatively explore both its unfathomable depths and indescribable expanses, as well as its magical lure and physical regularities, which have stimulated various art processes throughout the ages.

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ARĒNA 2023

This year, with a special emphasis on cross-genre creative research, the new music festival ARĒNA will be held in Riga from October 22 to 29. Experience the interweaving of contemporary sound art with the world of multimedia, elements of choreography, visual art and the latest technological solutions in seven concerts and meetings with artists that will take place in the gallery "Istaba" from October 23 to 27. Full program HERE, tickets available on BIĻEŠU PARADĪZE. Follow us on FACEBOOK and see you in Riga!

ARĒNA 2022

New music festival ARENA this year will be held from October 23 to November 8. There will be more than 10 world premieres of Latvian composers and the authors from abroad, that will be performed on three evenings in Riga Reformed Church with the participation of the brightest Latvian and foreign instrumentalists and singers. Full program HERE, tickets available on BIĻEŠU PARADĪZE. Follow us on FACEBOOK and see you in Riga!

ARĒNA 2021

This is our 20th anniversary year!
New music festival ARENA this year will be held from October 16 to 27.
See you in Riga!

ARĒNA 2020

Although, as usual, the festival possesses the breath and spirit of the world, this year, its main focus falls on concert programmes by outstanding local artists and world premières by several Latvian composers, as well as keyboard instruments in their various manifestations. The scintillation of all the timbral nuances of the black and white keys – from the extraordinary harpsichord to the versatile piano, and from the toy piano to the monumental accordion and the regal organ – is bound to touch the heart of any listener. The diverse repertoire of this year's festival is also marked by a variety of stylistic nuances.

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ARĒNA 2019

Harpsichord, recorders, electronics, harp, a giant musical dream catcher, a guitar made from skis, sewer pipe trumpets, singing vegetables, spoken word... These original instruments, non-traditional musical ensembles, improvisation, jazz music and many surprises in the world premieres of modern composers' works await in this year's New Music Festival ARENA 2019 which will take place in Riga from 19 October to 2 November.

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ARĒNA 2018

On 18 November 2018 we will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic. For the centenary of our country New music festival ARENA focuses on the music and artists from Latvia and our neighboring countries. Five different programs, seven concerts, three cities - enjoy the contemporary music with us from October 20 to November 4 in Riga, Cēsis and Liepāja!

ARĒNA 2017

October 14 – 20, 2017, the contemporary music festival ARENA for the 16th time will offer its visitors to experience and listen to rather unusual musical performances. This year the festival will present world premieres of musical pieces created by both Latvian and foreign composers, the visitors will have the chance to meet outstanding Latvian and foreign musicians, as well as go on a one-day concert journey on a special ARENA trolleybus.

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ARĒNA 2016

Contemporary music festival ARENA is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and offers its visitors an exquisite and colourfully festive programme with world class musical celebrities participating in it!

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ARĒNA 2015

From 14 October until 6 November the New Music Festival ARENA will be held in Latvia for the 14th time. This year it will offer to the audience in Riga, Sigulda and Liepaja ten acoustical and visually unusual programs of contemporary music and art. For the first time in the festival there will be a special program for children, welcoming them both to enjoy the performances of music and art as well as to make the music instruments in special workshops.

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ARĒNA in Classical: NEXT 2015 in Rotterdam

From 20 to 23 May, New Music Festival ARENA will participate in the international professional's forum for classical and art music Classical: NEXT in Rotterdam, Netherlands, representing three co-productions by Latvian and foreign artists.

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ARĒNA 2014

For the thirteenth year already the New Music Festival ARENA offers scenery of diverse genres. This year festival’s theme “Crossing Borders” indicates the authors’ wish to explore the tangency of diverse styles and expressions of contemporary music. The programme includes six concerts of interdisciplinary and conceptual projects, exquisite studies of the sound in the instrumental and the vocal media, as well as sacred music. The festival contains also lectures and discussions by both Latvian and foreign guests:- Ilma Grauzdiņa “Contemporary Music – Is It But a Serious Conversation Partner?”,- Boriss Avramecs “On the Crossroads of Rock and Academic Music”- Artūrs Mednis “Social Networking – How Does Music Cooperate with the Present Age?”,- John Palmer (Great Britain) “The Art of Listening to Contemporary Music” and- Javier Hagen (Germany / Switzerland) “Does Contemporary Music Possess a Nationality?”.

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ARĒNA 2003

To perceive the imperceivable – the high-points of unloading of tensity in the present world of music – the playground must be relatively capacious. On the ARENA ground a dense and intense atmosphere is to be expected! György Ligeti alone with his unlimited freedom of mind and imagination is challenge enough for the connoisseurs eager to listen. In the relationship of the unique master with his environment lies the appeal of unrelenting directness, this emerges in the apparent invitation (read: demand) to the addressee of his art – Open your ears!, in the ability to cement microscopic structures into the foundation of grand forms and extended musical ideas, as well as in a healthy unpredictability unveiling in the personal tragic and venturing of brusque jokes and irony.

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ARĒNA 2002

The Latvian audience (not unreasonably though) tends to regard itself to be sufficiently well aware of the ABC's of classical values to be able to digest the streams of the contemporary art world – so to say, the contemporary art pulse readily resonates on our cultural scene. True, it doesn't pulsate in all fields with equal verve and steadiness. Theatre in Latvia has its festival "Homo Novus", cinema identifies itself with the word "Arsenāls", art has its magazine "Studija", literature enjoys international relations – even if they require further improvement, but music – ? We celebrate, among others, opera music, piano stars, early music, sacred music, boys' choirs, while new music has always remained in an underpriviliged position. The niche is free, the gate is open. What to do next?

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