Countless iconic scenes in operas are associated with exotic locales, because almost from the dawn of the genre, librettists realized that audiences had a particular fondness for stories set in distant lands. How come, that the exotic operas of the 21st century have become the most important bridge between the East and the West?

Vaslav Nijinsky was one of the most compelling figures of an explosion in the arts that took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Here are ten interesting facts about Nijinsky’s life and his works, by way of an introduction to an remarkable dance universe.

As is well known, Bach was appointed director of music at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche in 1723, and would serve there until his death in 1750. What is not such common knowledge is that he owed his appointment to a fortunate accident.

It’s a case of apples not falling far from the tree. Several of Péter Gerendás’s children, raised in a large family, have pursued careers in music, becoming well-known figures in both the Hungarian and international scenes; two of them are returning from abroad for the sake of this concert.

The internationally acclaimed dancer returns to her childhood with her new production. More than 'just' another piece of choreography, The Inner Child promises to be a summation of a rich and long journey that began in Szolnok.

The former bassoonist is passionate about the music of his homeland, particularly from the period when George Frideric Handel visited Ireland and premièred his best-known work, Messiah. These interests have led to a career as a highly regarded interpreter of early music.

Chris Potter’s is the textbook example of the perfect 20th-century jazz career. After a few youthful missteps, the 1990s already saw him play with the greatest, and since then, his unstoppable creative drive has made him a towering saxophonist of his generation, who has over a hundred albums and a string of five-star collaborations to his name.

In the centre of Riga, a few minutes’ walk from the Freedom Monument, there is a cream-coloured, neoclassical building by the canal. It may look like one of the many 19th-century opera houses in the West, but the long history of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet is really about survival. 

Perhaps only Christmas has a richer musical heritage than Easter: it is both a celebration of contemplation and the resurrection of Christ, as well as a sign of the arrival of spring. Along with the classics—Bach’s Passions, the symphonies of Haydn and Mahler and an oratorio by Liszt—we would now like to recommend some rarities.