Liene Kinča’s solo concert
Richard Wagner’s most beautiful songs and arias
Pianist Ērika Millere
On the evening of April 26 at 7:00 p.m., the cultural venue Ola Foundation presents an unforgettable meeting with the outstanding opera singer and soprano Liene Kinča, whose artistry and vocal power have moved audiences on the world’s greatest stages. In this concert, Liene Kinča will invite you on an emotional journey through the brilliant music of Richard Wagner.
Liene Kinča is an outstanding performer of Wagner’s music, whose voice and artistic depth shine through in the composer’s most demanding roles. Her vocal mastery, expressive timbre, and ability to reveal the emotional and dramatic depth of Wagner’s music have made her one of the finest performers of this repertoire today.
The evening will also be made special by pianist and concertmaster Ērika Millere, who is known as an outstanding accompanist in vocal music and a brilliant pianist.
The concert will be presented in two parts - with the sensual Wesendonck Lieder, filled with themes of love and longing, and Wagner’s opera arias, which reveal the dramatic storylines and emotional depth of the composer.
Program
- Part - Wesendonck Lieder
These lyrical and deeply emotional songs are among the most personal and beautiful peaks of Wagner’s creative work, reflecting themes of love, longing, and the beauty of nature. They are notable for their expressive melodies and rich harmonies.
- The Angel (The Angel)
- Stand Still! (Stand still!)
- In the Greenhouse - Study from Tristan and Isolde (In the Conservatory - Study from Tristan and Isolde)
- Pains (Pains)
- Dreams - Study from Tristan and Isolde (Dreams - Study from Tristan and Isolde)
- Part - Wagner’s opera arias
Some of Wagner’s most striking and impressive opera arias, highlighting themes of love, longing, and humanity. These pieces will be an unforgettable experience for every classical music lover.
- The Fairies How I must lament (Ah, how can I lament)
- The Ban on Love How wonderful to expect (What wonderful anticipation)
- Tannhäuser, To thee, dear hall (To you, dear festive hall)
- Almighty Virgin, hear my plea! (Almighty Virgin, hear my plea!)
- Der Ring des Nibelungen, Die Walküre, Der Manner Sippe (The Song of the Men’s Kin)
- Lohengrin, Alone in gloomy days (Alone in sorrowful days)
- Tristan und Isolde, Mild und leise (Softly and gently)
Concert in two parts. Interval: 30 minutes.
Guests are invited to arrive from 18:15 for a glass of welcome wine and a viewing of the current art exhibitions.
BIO
Liene Kinča
Liene Kinča is one of Latvia’s most distinguished opera singers, whose artistic performances have earned several prestigious awards. She received the Latvijas Gāze Opera Award twice - in 2011 and 2013 - as Best Opera Soloist, and in 2011 she was also awarded the Professor Pauls Saks Prize by the Tālavija corporation. She has sung at prestigious opera houses around the world. In spring 2024, the singer stood out with her internationally acclaimed performance of Isolde in Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. At Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Flemish Opera in Antwerp and Ghent, and Theater an der Wien, her interpretations have captivated audiences and critics, demonstrating her vocal mastery and ability to immerse herself in Wagner’s musical world.
Liene Kinča studied singing with Margarita Gruzdeva and graduated from the Latvian Academy of Music in 2006 in Sergejs Martinovs’s class. She further refined her vocal skills with outstanding teachers, including Irēna Milkevičute, Ingrīda Kaizerfelde, and David Jones.
At the Latvian National Opera, Liene Kinča made her debut in 2005, performing the role of Karolka in Leoš Janáček’s opera Jenůfa. Her artistic repertoire includes a wide range of roles, including Amelia in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Un ballo in maschera, the Princess in Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, the title role in Giacomo Puccini’s one-act opera Suor Angelica, Giorgetta in the one-act opera Il tabarro, the title roles in Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Tosca, Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco, Lisa in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, as well as several roles in Richard Wagner’s operas - Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Gutrune, the Third Norn, and Woglinde in Götterdämmerung, and Elisabeth in Tannhäuser.
Ērika Millere
Ērika Millere is an outstanding pianist and accompanist whose diverse musical career encompasses both piano performance and vocal accompaniment. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with many distinguished artists, received several prestigious awards, and captivated audiences with her exceptional ability to bring out both the subtlety and drama of music.
The musician was born in Rēzekne and began her studies at the Jānis Ivanovs Rēzekne Secondary School of Music, later continuing her studies in piano at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. Ērika earned her bachelor’s degree in the classes of Assoc. Prof. Juris Žvikovs and Prof. Juris Kalnciems, and graduated with distinction from the academy’s master’s program in Prof. Dace Kļava’s piano accompaniment class.
Her professional development was enhanced through master classes with distinguished teachers, including Prof. A. Novosovska (Poland), Prof. Oleksandr Bondurianskyi (Ukraine), Prof. Filip Mol (Austria), and Prof. Walter Moore (Austria).
Ērika Millere has received recognition for her interpretations; in 2022, together with baritone Rihards Millers, she was nominated for the Great Music Award in the category Outstanding Interpretation for Franz Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise.
The pianist’s artistry has been recognized with multiple awards at international competitions. She received the diploma of the International Klaudia Taev Competition for Young Opera Singers as the best accompanist (in 2015 and 2022) and was the competition’s official pianist in 2017. In 2015, she received the diploma of the IV International Jāzeps Vītols Vocal Competition as the best accompanist.
Alongside her work at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Ērika Millere actively participates in concert life, creating diverse programs and collaborating with various artists. She performs with LNO soloists, including Rihards Millers, Rinalds Kandalincevs, Jūlija Vasiļjeva, Inga Šļubovska-Kancēviča, and Ilze Grēvele-Skaraina. Together with Rihards Millers and Jūlija Semjonova, she has recorded material for the Radio 3 Klasika archives.
