Orests Silabriedis appointed as Artistic Director of the Great Amber Concert Hall

A successful selection process for the position of Artistic Director of “Lielais Dzintars” Ltd. has been concluded, the responsibilities of which will be to develop the artistic vision and event plan of Liepāja Great Amber Concert Hall in the next five years, providing its implementation and supervision. Orests Silabriedis, who takes up the position on 15 May, was chosen as the most suitable candidate.

On 24 March 2023, “Lielais Dzintars” Ltd. announced an open competition for the position of Artistic Director. First round of the competition received five applications, whereas in the second round the assessment committee shortlisted two candidates and found Orests Silabriedis to be the most suitable for the position of Artistic Director of “Lielais Dzintars” Ltd.

Artistic Director’s responsibilities include the development of the concert hall’s overall artistic programme, planning and implementation of new projects, as well as cooperation with industry professionals in Latvia, Europe and worldwide.

“My ties with the culture life of Liepāja date back to the 1990s, and over the years have grown increasingly closer. I am very excited about this new opportunity, but I am also well aware that this is a challenging one, as Liepāja is a beautiful but not easily solved riddle. I’m sure that the wonderful Great Amber’s colleagues, whom I’ve already had the opportunity to meet a little, will be a trustworthy team for the big tasks ahead of us: the 400th birthday of Liepāja and the 10th anniversary of the concert hall, and we are well aware of the big and ambitious work that has to start now on the programme for 2027, when Liepāja will bear the crown of the European Capital of Culture. The efforts of the Great Amber so far have shown great diversity and I will be happy to continue the work started by my colleagues, adding new colours to the landscape,” Orests Silabriedis says on his future plans.

Orests Silabriedis brings more than 30 years of experience in the music industry. He has been working on various concert tours, festivals and anniversary artistic programmes for several Latvian cultural organisations and has organised poetry and music evenings. For several years he was the editor-in-chief of “Latvijas Koncerti” and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, actively involved in the production of art. Since 2022 he consults the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra on repertoire policy and artistic activities.

Silabriedis is an acclaimed music reviewer, co-author of books, author of publications for newspapers and magazines, being an active follower of the Latvian and world music and art news.

Since 1996 he hosts and produces the programme “Klasika” on Latvian Radio 3, and since 2005 he is editor-in-chief of the magazine “Mūzikas Saule”. Member of national and international award juries.

He will succeed Baiba Bartkeviča as Artistic Director of the Great Amber Concert Hall, a position she has held since 2016.

Meanwhile, the concert hall will continue its cooperation with Baiba Bartkevičia in the framework of the contemporary art festival “Liepāja Art Forum”.

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