Latvia, Latvians, and Opera
Latvia first made it back into the popular conciousness from behind the Iron Curtain with its hockey players, the best known
including Artūrs Irbe, Sandis Ozoliņš, Kārlis Skrastiņš, and Sergejs Žoltoks.
While the Baltic states have also made names for themselves in other athletic venues, such as The World's Strongest Man competition, today, Latvia has been making itself felt as the new heavyweight in a new realm: the operatic world stage. The careers of some of today's most preeminent stars: Inessa Galante,
Elīna Garanča, Aleksandrs Antonenko, were all launched from the same city where Wagner worked as opera and concert conductor well over a century-and-a-half ago—cutting his career in Riga short when he fled to Paris in 1839 to escape creditors!
Its history as a center of opera forgotten during a half century under the Soviets, its opera house crumbling, the future of the operatic tradition in Riga and Latvia after independence seemed tenuous at best. Those darkest of days have been banished but many challenges remain. The LNOG is proud to have been the Latvian National Opera's stalwart companion in its exciting journey to artistic rebirth and return to the world's artistic stage.
About the Latvian National Opera Guild
The early '90s was a very
exciting time for Latvia and Latvians everywhere. Free at last from
communist suppression, Latvia was experiencing a spiritual and
cultural rebirth. Yet, one of its cherished cultural symbols, the
National Opera House of Latvia, stood crumbling under the weight of
half a century of neglect. Its doors had closed in 1991 for major
renovations. However, funds for such an undertaking were scarce in a
virtually bankrupt nation.
Soon after Latvia regained
its independence, in August of 1991, a group of opera enthusiasts
from the New York Latvian Concert Choir initiated the idea of establishing
an association which would in some small way help restore their
beloved opera house.
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LNOG board and advisory panel
members
1st row (from left): Aija Blūmfelde, Andris Padegs, Aija Pelše, Ivars Bērziņš, Beatrise Rasuma
2nd row: Vija Bērziņa, Jānis Reikmanis, Brigita Klausa, Pēters Vecrumba, Silvija Grendze, Ēriks Niedrītis, Vera Siliņa
Not present: Michael Israels, Ilze Pētersone, Baiba Rudzīte Pinne, Marta Prāmniece
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The group was small and their expectations were
modest but they were willing to work hard, without any compensation. At
first informal but frequent meetings were held for the purpose of defining
its goals and formulating work guidelines. On February 9th, 1992, the first LNOG
board was elected with Indulis Lacis as chairman and Ingrida Berzins as
vice-chairman.
No one was quite prepared for the
enthusiastic response that followed. People from all over the United
States and other parts of the free world wanted to be part of the cultural
renaissance and so the Latvian National Opera Guild was founded. Since its
inception, the guild has become the largest non-government contributor to
the restoration of the opera. Its membership exceeds
1,500.
These funds have been used prudently for the
restoration of the opera house as well as for sponsorship of numerous
projects aimed at maintaining the operas high artistic standards.
Some
of the most noteworthy reconstruction funding has been for the purchase
and installation of two Otis elevators, carpeting the opera halls, total
renovation of the orchestra pit, reconstruction of the stage lighting,
hall lamps and mirrors and numerous small projects.
The guild
has paid for numerous musical instruments for the opera orchestra, strings
for all string instruments and most recently an 1801 Franz Anton Stoss
master violin. However, most noteworthy and very much appreciated has been
the guild's gift of a "Steinway & Sons" concert grand
piano.
Recognizing the importance of developing new
operatic talent, the guild has been the sole sponsor of student opera
productions at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga. The student opera
company known as "Figaro" travels throughout the provinces bringing opera
to the local schools.
The Latvian National Opera Guild is
also responsible for the addition of a libretto projection above the stage
in the hopes of attracting more of the younger
generation.
The guild also sponsors the opera website and its
present expansion to include complete historical and biographical
information as well as musical fragments. (for complete list of LNOG
donations please visit the "Sponsored projects")
In addition to membership
fees and donations, the guild raises funds by means of benefit activites such as concerts. Another successful fund raising device has been the
sale of commemorative plaques to be attached to opera chairs. For a
donation of $2,000, one can purchase an inscribed plaque to be placed on
the back of a chair in the opera hall. Donations of $10,000 and more are
recognized by individual plaques adorning the walls of the opera
house.
A devoted opera
guild board, advisory panel and members who have volunteered their time
and ingenuity keep administrative expenses to a minimum. Running expenses for such items as mailing and printing are
kept to about 4% of income. Under the leadership of its present
chairperson Aija Pelše and vice chairman Ivars Bērziņš, activities of the
opera guild are guided by more than a dozen board members, over a dozen advisors, and three auditors. The board is elected by the dues paying members of the
guild.
After nearly two rewarding decades, restoration and expansion projects have been largely completed and the guild has focused its activities on promoting the opera's artistic endeavors, supporting special projects, and spreading the popularity of opera among Latvia's youngest generation.
The Latvian National
Opera Guild invites you to join the many enthusiastic members our worthy
endeavors. The Latvian National Opera Guild is incorporated as a
cultural organization. Consequently, contributions to the guild are
deductible under section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code of the
United States. Many corporations have "matching grants" programs, whereby
the corporation contributes funds to a cultural institution to match
employees contribution.
Yearly tax deductible membership is: single
$25, family $50.
Checks are payable to: Latvian National Opera
Guild, Inc. Mail to:
Latvian
National Opera Guild, Inc.
c/o Andris Padegs
2 Merry Hill Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
