Kremerata Baltica

Kremerata Baltica is a chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). It was founded by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer in 1997. Gidon Kremer is an artistic director of Kremerata Baltica.

Description
Kremerata Baltica first appeared on stage of Austria's Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival and since then has become well known for its energy and joy in playing. The orchestra was formed as an educational project promoting the cultural life of the Baltics.

By Los Angeles Times they were described as "extraordinary young players ... [who] animate everything their bows touch."

Kremerata Baltica performs around 70 concerts annually during tours throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Regular performances are held in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Japan, the United States of America, and other countries concert halls like Carnegie Hall (USA), Schloss Neuhardenberg, Schloss Elmau, Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich (Germany), Schloss Esterhazy, Lockenhaus, Musikverein (Austria), Rudolfinum (Czech Republic), the Royal Albert Hall (United Kingdom). During its career the orchestra visited many festivals – Salzburg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the Prague Spring, The Proms, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, etc. Kremerata Baltica also holds its own Festival in Sigulda, Latvia since 2003.

While the majority of the concerts are led by and performed with Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica has appeared with artists like soprano Jessye Norman; pianists Martha Argerich, Mikhail Pletnev, Evgeny Kissin, Oleg Maisenberg, Daniil Trifonov; violinists Thomas Zehetmair, Vadim Repin, Tatiana Grindenko; cellists Boris Pergamenschikov, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, David Geringas; conductors include Sir Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christoph Eschenbach, Kent Nagano, Heinz Holliger, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

In recent seasons the ensemble has pushed back the boundaries of its work to include events such as "To Russia with Love", a concert staged at Berlin's Philharmonie in 2013 to promote the cause of human rights in Russia, and "All About Gidon", a part-scenic autobiographical show in which Gidon Kremer performs works close to his heart and speaks about the life and career of an artist. Since 2013 Kremerata Baltica and Gidon Kremer have partnered the famous Russian clown and mime artist Slava Polunin and his Academy of Fools in "Snow Symphony", a joint project based on Polunin's "Snowshow". In 2015 the ensemble launched its creative project "Masks and Faces", collaboration between Gidon Kremer and the Russian painter, polemicist and philosopher Maxim Kantor. The latest Kremerata Baltica project "Pictures from the East" is a joint venture with a Syrian artist Nizar Ali Badr, which focuses on the situation in the Middle East and the current refugee problem.

Essential to Kremerata Baltica's artistic personality is its creative approach to programming, which often looks beyond the mainstream  and has given rise to numerous world premieres of works by composers such as Arvo Pärt, Giya Kancheli  Pēteris Vasks, Leonid Desyatnikov, Alexander Raskatov, Artūrs Maskats. The chamber orchestra is supported by the governments of three Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.

Recordings
Mieczyslaw Weinberg: Chamber Symphonies & Piano Quintet

Works by Mieczysław Weinberg

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Yulianna Avdeeva, Mate Bekavac, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

2017, ECM New Series ECM 2538/39

Shostakovich: Piano Concertos

Works by Dmitri Shostakovich

Performed by: Anna Vinnitskaya, Kremerata Baltica, Tobias Willner, Ivan Rudin

2015, Alpha Classics Alpha 203

Chiaroscuro

Works by Giya Kancheli

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Patricia Kopatchinskaja

2015, ECM NeSe 2442

New Seasons

Works by P. Glass, A. Pärt, G. Kancheli, S. Umebayashi,

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Andrei Pushkarev, Girls' Choir of Vilnius Choir-Singin School "Liepaites"

2015, Deutsche Grammophon 0289 479 4817

Mieczysław Weinberg

Works by Mieczysław Weinberg

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Daniil Trifonov, Daniil Grishin, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Danielis Rubinas

2014, ECM New Series 2368-69

The Art of Instrumentation: Homage to Glenn Gould

Works by Valentin Silvestrov, Georgs Pelecis, Alexander Raskatov, Alexander Wustin, Carl Vine, Raminta Serksnyte, Giya Kancheli, Leonid Desyatnikov, Victoria Vita Poleva, Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer, Victor Kissine.

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Andrei Pushkarev, Dita Krenberga, Justina Gelgotaite, Reinut Tepp, Dzeraldas Bidva, Agne Doveikaite-Rubiniene, Daniil Grishin, Vidas Vekerotas, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Peteris Cirksis, Kremerata Baltica

2012, Nonesuch Records 528982

Transfigurations

Works by: F. Schubert

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2012, Burleske De Profundis

Works by Jean Sibelius, Arvo Pärt, Raminta Šerkšnyte, Robert Schumann, Michael Nyman, Franz Schubert, Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer, Dmitri Shostakovich, Lera Auerbach, Astor Piazzolla, Georgs Pelecis, and Alfred Schnittke

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2010, Nonesuch Records 287228

Hymns and Prayers

Works by Stevan Kovacs Tickmayer, César Franck and Giya Kancheli

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Roman Kofman, Khatia Buniatishvili, Andrei Pushkarev, Marija Nemanyte, Maxim Rysanov, Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Sofia Altunashvili, Kremerata Baltica

2010, ECM 2161

Mozart: Piano Concertos 20 & 27

Works by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performed by: Evgeny Kissin, Kremerata Baltica

2010, EMI 26645

Mozart: The Complete Violin Concertos

Works by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2009, Nonesuch Records 512789

Gustav Mahler/Dmitri Shostakovich

Works by: G. Mahler/D. Shostakovich

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Yulia Korpacheva, Fedor Kuznetsov, Kremerata Baltica

2007, ECM 8372024

Shostakovich

Works by: D. Shostakovich

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Kremerata Baltica

2006, Deutsche Grammophon 477 619-6

Lollipops/Georgs Pelecis

Works by: F. Schubert, J. S. Bach, S. Gubaidulina, F. Mendelssohn, F. A. Mozart, R. Schumann, B. Bartok, D. Schostakowitsch, A. Piazzolla, J. Mandel, V. Reinfeldt, G. Miller, G. Pelecis

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2006, Burleske String Quartet in G Major

Works by: F. Schubert (arr. V. Kissine)

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2005, ECM 8371883

In l'istesso tempo

Works by: Giya Kancheli

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Oleg Maisenberg, Kremerata Baltica, Bridge Ensemble

2005, ECM 8371767

G. Pelecis: Revelation

Works by: G. Pelecis

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2005, Burleske Kremerland

Works by: F. Liszt, G. Kancheli, S. Dreznin, L. Czishyk, A. Vustin, A. Bakshi, G. Pelecis, Ī. Dunayevsky, W. A. Mozart

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Marta Sudraba, Leonids Czishyk, Andrei Pushkarev, Danelius Rubins, Kremerata Baltica

2004, Deutsche Grammophon 474 8012

Russian Seasons

Works by: L. Desyatnikov, A. Raskatov

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Julija Korpaceva, Kremerata Baltica

2003, Nonesuch Records 79803

Happy Birthday

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2003, Nonesuch Records 79657

George Enescu

Works by: G. Enescu

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Dzeraldas Bidva, Ula Ulijona, Marta Sudraba, Andrius Zlabys, Kremerata Baltica

2002, Nonesuch Records 79682

Tracing Astor

Works by: A. Piazzolla, G. Sollima, L. Desyatnikov, G. Pelecis

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Ula Ulijona, Marta Sudraba, Sol Gabetta, Leonid Desyatnikov, Horacio Ferrer, Kremerata Baltica

2001, Nonesuch Records 79601 After Mozart

Works by: W. A. Mozart, A. Raskatov, A. Schnittke, V. Silvestrov

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2001, Nonesuch Records 79633 Silencio

Works by: A. Pärt, P. Glass, V. Martynov

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Tatjana Grindenko, Reinuts Teps, Eri Klas

2000, Nonesuch Records 79582 Eight Seasons

Works by: A. Vivaldi, A. Piazzolla

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

2000, Nonesuch Records 79568

Tango Ballet

Works by: A. Piazzolla

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica, Ula Zebriunaite, Marta Sudraba, Pers Arne Glorvigens, Aloizs Poss, Vadims Saharovs

1999, Teldec 22661

Vasks: Distant Light / Voices

Works by: P. Vasks

Performed by: Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

1999, Teldec 22660

Honors and awards

 * ECHO Klassik award in 2016 in the category of "Concert Recording (Music of the 20th/21st Centuries)
 * Grammy Award nomination in 2015 for recording "Mieczysław Weinberg" (ECM New Series, 2014) in the category of Classical Music: Best Classical Compendium
 * Grammy Award in 2002 for recording "After Mozart" (Nonesuch, 2001) in the category of Classical Music: Best Small Ensemble Performance
 * ECHO Klassik prize in 2002 for recording "After Mozart" (Nonesuch, 2001)
 * Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists in 2009
 * Daily Latvian newspaper's "Diena" annual prize in culture in 2004, 2012
 * The supreme Latvian state award in music "The Grand Music Award (LMB)" 1999, 2004