The magnificent Gala Concert of the International Operetta Festival took place at the open-air stage in Ikšķile, bringing together brilliant vocalists from several countries and offering an unforgettable celebration of operetta music. The stage was filled with the voices of outstanding soloists – Polish soprano Anna Hoczai, Latvian soprano Anta Jankovska from Italy, tenor Emils Laveckis from Poland, as well as Latvian operetta stars Sonora Vaice, Marlene Keine, Laura Purena, Nauris Indzeris, Dainis Skutelis, Emils Kivlenieks and Jānis Misiņš.
The programme featured gems of the operetta genre – the most popular arias, duets and ensembles from Imre Kálmán’s unforgettable “Silva”, as well as highlights from operettas by Johann Strauss, Robert Stolz, Franz Lehár, Karl Zeller, Nico Dostal and Karl Milleker. The audience could enjoy not only an outstanding vocal performance, but also a full-fledged stage production, accompanied by dancers and the Operetta Orchestra under the leadership of the talented conductor Guntars Bernāts.
The atmosphere of the concert and the unity of the programme were successfully created by the concert pianist Jānis Kirmuška, allowing the audience to enjoy the diversity and international dimension of operetta. This magnificent closing concert on the open-air stage demonstrated the important role of the Operetta Festival in promoting and passing on this beloved genre of performing arts to future generations.
