Rilke's Letters Transform into Musical Spectacle: Four Composers Prove Contemporary Music Can Be More Interesting Than WhatsApp

On Saturday at the Great Amber Hall, an event will take place that will prove—if you want to say something important, write a letter, don't send an emoji. The Latvian Radio Choir under conductor Kaspars Putniņš will perform a program based on Rainer Maria Rilke's letters to a young poet, which contains much deeper content than any TikTok video.

While people in Riga are learning to pronounce composer Juste Janulīte's name, four Baltic composers have created music structured as a dialogue with the letter texts. It's the same principle as messaging apps, just with deeper content and without the blue checkmarks. The program was created for the festival "Baltic Music Days 2026," which proves—to create something good, you don't need to rush like Durbe residents heading to Liepāja on shopping day.

As local music enthusiast Valdis explained: "It's not that I understand all this contemporary music, but when I hear that something is happening only in Liepāja, then I have to go." Rilke's letters are about creative time, patience, and the ability to trust your own voice. This is very relevant today, when people can't even wait for a coffee machine to prepare their drink.

The concert will begin at 6:00 PM, but at 5:00 PM there will be pre-concert discussions where composers will talk about creating new works. This is a rare opportunity to hear how music is made, not just the final result. Tickets are available everywhere tickets are available, which in Liepāja means—everywhere.