With the start of the 2022/2023 concert season, 22-year-old Finnish conductor, Tarmo Peltokoski, becomes the musical and artistic director of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO).

The French music magazine Diapason writes about him: “ATTENTION, A GENIUS!” Peltokoski has a strong musical vision and a clear idea of what he wants to achieve in the next three years.

His inaugural concert took place on 19 November 2022 in the Cēsis Concert Hall (in Latvian: Koncertzäle Cēsis), which is characterised by exceptional acoustics. Cēsis is one of the oldest Latvian cities and has been part of the Hanseatic League since the 14th century. Modern Cēsis is a cultural centre where the past is the basis for today's creativity.

Ralph Vaughn Williams’ 5^th Symphony in the Romantic style is dedicated to Jean Sibelius. The latter wrote about it: "I heard Dr Ralph Vaughan Williams' new symphony in Stockholm under the excellent direction of Malcolm Sargent ... This symphony is an outstanding work ... The dedication makes me proud and grateful ... I wonder if Dr Williams has any idea of the pleasure he has given me with it?" This is followed by a work by the dedicatee:

The Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in E flat major op. 82 was commissioned by the Finnish government to celebrate the composer's 50^th birthday as a bank holiday. Sibelius is considered one of Finland's most important composers, and with his works he made his musical contribution to the identity of Finland as it liberated itself from Russian domination.

Composer Krists Auznieks has been praised for his “exhilarating… stunning… luminous“ (San Francisco Classical Voice) music, possessing “astonishing complexity and beauty“ (Broadwayworld), and “old-fashioned elegance“ (Herald Tribune). In season 2022/23 Auznieks serves as composer in residence with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.

The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO) is one of the cornerstones of Latvian national culture. The LNSO was founded in 1926 as the Orchestra of the Riga Radio Centre and has borne its present name since 1990. In the second half of the 20^th century, the LNSO worked with Arvīds Jansons, Kurt Masur, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Kirill Kondrashin, Yuri Simonov, Neeme Järvi, Krzysztof Penderecki. Many maestros have also conducted the LNSO in recent times: Paavo Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Andris Nelsons, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Gintaras Rinkevičius and others.

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony No. 5 in D major

Krists Auznieks
Grace

Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82

Latvijas Nacionālais simfoniskais orķestris [Latvian National Symphony Orchestra]
Tarmo Peltokoski, conductor