upcoming concerts:
3 concert pass - october-december 2026 - riga congress center
Latvian Radio Big Band offers the Autumn-Winter 2026 Season Concert Pass for 3 concerts at the Riga Congress center! Only 60 passes available!
The price for the season pass is 60 EUR and includes these 3 concerts:
1.
01.10.2026., Thursday, 19:00
The Phil Collins Era | Latvian Radio Big Band, Busulis & Praulina
The influence of Phil Collins over the course of his nearly 50-year long career is impossible to measure. As a drummer, he has long been regarded as one of the greatest in his field. In addition to his work with “Genesis”, Collins has sold approximately 150 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He also remains one of only three artists – alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson – to have sold more than 100 million albums both – as solo artists and with their respective bands.
With this concert program, the Latvian Radio Big Band looks back on the achievements of the popular music genius of the 1980s and 1990s, Phil Collins, through the prism of a big band. The arrangements for the concert programme are made by keyboardist Toms Mikāls and saxophonist Kārlis Vanags. Big band music also held a special place in Collins’s own creative expression – his 1990s project, the “Phil Collins Big Band”, brought together some of the era’s finest performers and most prominent arrangers.
2.
05.11.2026., Thursday, 19:00
Latvian Radio Big Band | Lars Møller | IndoJazz
In this project, Danish saxophonist Lars Møller combines jazz and Indian traditional music together with two of the finest young musicians of his generation - shehnai master Ashwani Shankar and tabla virtuoso Zuheb Khan. This is Indo-jazz of the highest international caliber, featuring inventive rhythms and emotionally expressive melodic ragas. Thanks to Møller’s innovative approach to orchestration and his interest in the music of different cultures, he is able to create a unique musical voice that connects different traditions. Lars’s relationship with India and its music spans more than 30 years and he has studied as an apprentice under several masters of traditional musical instruments.
The concert program explores the meeting points between the Scandinavian jazz tradition and Indian traditional music, creating a unique intercultural experience. By combining the melodic and rhythmic richness of Indian music with the harmonic and atmospheric expansiveness of Scandinavian jazz, the music is designed to inspire and challenge both Indian and Western musicians alike.
3.
17.12.2026., Thursday, 19:00
Latvian Radio Big Band’s 60th Anniversary Concert
60 Years of Music!
The 60th anniversary concert of the Latvian Radio Big Band is not only a celebration, it’s a story about sound, people and time. Latvian Radio Big Band, together with its closest creative collaborators – the charismatic British singer Ola Onabule, the outstanding Latvian vocalist Kristīne Prauliņa, the versatile Intars Busulis, as well as other special guests - instrumentalists and vocalists, who have been part of the big band’s creative journey – will take the stage together this wonderful evening.
The program is a musical retrospective, revealing the evolution of the big band’s identity – from its classical jazz roots to contemporary collaborations that cross genre boundaries. It will feature works from the ensemble’s discography, including big band compositions by Kārlis Vanags and suites by maestro Raimonds Pauls, highlighting the most significant collaborations and stylistic turning points of the past decade. The concert will also include internationally renowned pieces, the golden repertoire of jazz music, and jazz standards.
The season pass is available for sale till October 1st of 2026. If the season pass sells-out earlier than October 1st of 2026, tickets to individual concerts are available for purchase on-line and at the “Bilesu Paradize” box offices.
get the pass here!
The price for the season pass is 60 EUR and includes these 3 concerts:
1.
01.10.2026., Thursday, 19:00
The Phil Collins Era | Latvian Radio Big Band, Busulis & Praulina
The influence of Phil Collins over the course of his nearly 50-year long career is impossible to measure. As a drummer, he has long been regarded as one of the greatest in his field. In addition to his work with “Genesis”, Collins has sold approximately 150 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He also remains one of only three artists – alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson – to have sold more than 100 million albums both – as solo artists and with their respective bands.
With this concert program, the Latvian Radio Big Band looks back on the achievements of the popular music genius of the 1980s and 1990s, Phil Collins, through the prism of a big band. The arrangements for the concert programme are made by keyboardist Toms Mikāls and saxophonist Kārlis Vanags. Big band music also held a special place in Collins’s own creative expression – his 1990s project, the “Phil Collins Big Band”, brought together some of the era’s finest performers and most prominent arrangers.
2.
05.11.2026., Thursday, 19:00
Latvian Radio Big Band | Lars Møller | IndoJazz
In this project, Danish saxophonist Lars Møller combines jazz and Indian traditional music together with two of the finest young musicians of his generation - shehnai master Ashwani Shankar and tabla virtuoso Zuheb Khan. This is Indo-jazz of the highest international caliber, featuring inventive rhythms and emotionally expressive melodic ragas. Thanks to Møller’s innovative approach to orchestration and his interest in the music of different cultures, he is able to create a unique musical voice that connects different traditions. Lars’s relationship with India and its music spans more than 30 years and he has studied as an apprentice under several masters of traditional musical instruments.
The concert program explores the meeting points between the Scandinavian jazz tradition and Indian traditional music, creating a unique intercultural experience. By combining the melodic and rhythmic richness of Indian music with the harmonic and atmospheric expansiveness of Scandinavian jazz, the music is designed to inspire and challenge both Indian and Western musicians alike.
3.
17.12.2026., Thursday, 19:00
Latvian Radio Big Band’s 60th Anniversary Concert
60 Years of Music!
The 60th anniversary concert of the Latvian Radio Big Band is not only a celebration, it’s a story about sound, people and time. Latvian Radio Big Band, together with its closest creative collaborators – the charismatic British singer Ola Onabule, the outstanding Latvian vocalist Kristīne Prauliņa, the versatile Intars Busulis, as well as other special guests - instrumentalists and vocalists, who have been part of the big band’s creative journey – will take the stage together this wonderful evening.
The program is a musical retrospective, revealing the evolution of the big band’s identity – from its classical jazz roots to contemporary collaborations that cross genre boundaries. It will feature works from the ensemble’s discography, including big band compositions by Kārlis Vanags and suites by maestro Raimonds Pauls, highlighting the most significant collaborations and stylistic turning points of the past decade. The concert will also include internationally renowned pieces, the golden repertoire of jazz music, and jazz standards.
The season pass is available for sale till October 1st of 2026. If the season pass sells-out earlier than October 1st of 2026, tickets to individual concerts are available for purchase on-line and at the “Bilesu Paradize” box offices.
get the pass here!
august 1, 2026, 8 pm - Latvia Radio Big Band with Marshall Gilkes. CLOSING CONCERT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TROMBONE FESTIVAL @ RIGA LATVIAN SOCIETY HOUSE
Latvian Radio Big Band with Marshall Gilkes (USA, trombone)
The Latvian Radio Big Band, Latvia's flagship jazz orchestra, has been a driving force in the country's jazz scene since its founding in 1966. Reestablished in 2012, the ensemble has collaborated with many of the world's leading jazz artists and has earned international acclaim, including performances at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and receiving Latvia's 2023 Great Music Award for outstanding artistic achievement.
Joining the band is internationally renowned trombonist, composer, and educator Marshall Gilkes, one of today's most celebrated voices in jazz. A Grammy-nominated artist acclaimed for his extraordinary virtuosity, warm lyricism, and innovative compositions, Gilkes has performed with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the WDR Big Band, the New York Philharmonic, and many of the world's foremost jazz ensembles. Together, Gilkes and the Latvian Radio Big Band promise an evening of thrilling artistry, dynamic improvisation, and the vibrant energy of contemporary big band jazz.
The International Trombone Festival is an annual multi-day event featuring all things trombone. Artists, teachers, students, professionals, industry leaders, and hobbyists gather to celebrate and explore the many facets and styles of trombone playing, teaching, and craftsmanship. The location of the ITF moves around the world on an annual basis. Most festivals occur in the United States, but the ITF frequently occurs in other countries worldwide. 2026 marks the first year that the event takes place in Latvia.
TICKETS
The Latvian Radio Big Band, Latvia's flagship jazz orchestra, has been a driving force in the country's jazz scene since its founding in 1966. Reestablished in 2012, the ensemble has collaborated with many of the world's leading jazz artists and has earned international acclaim, including performances at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and receiving Latvia's 2023 Great Music Award for outstanding artistic achievement.
Joining the band is internationally renowned trombonist, composer, and educator Marshall Gilkes, one of today's most celebrated voices in jazz. A Grammy-nominated artist acclaimed for his extraordinary virtuosity, warm lyricism, and innovative compositions, Gilkes has performed with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the WDR Big Band, the New York Philharmonic, and many of the world's foremost jazz ensembles. Together, Gilkes and the Latvian Radio Big Band promise an evening of thrilling artistry, dynamic improvisation, and the vibrant energy of contemporary big band jazz.
The International Trombone Festival is an annual multi-day event featuring all things trombone. Artists, teachers, students, professionals, industry leaders, and hobbyists gather to celebrate and explore the many facets and styles of trombone playing, teaching, and craftsmanship. The location of the ITF moves around the world on an annual basis. Most festivals occur in the United States, but the ITF frequently occurs in other countries worldwide. 2026 marks the first year that the event takes place in Latvia.
TICKETS
august 23, 2026, 7 pm - latvian radio big band and OLA ONABULÉ @ trakai, lithuania, UŽUTRAKIS MANOR HOUSE
Ola Onabulé, the internationally acclaimed British-Nigerian singer and composer, performs live with the Latvian Radio Big Band once again. Celebrated for his astonishing three-and-a-half-octave vocal range and collaborations with Grammy-winning orchestras across the globe, Ola brings unmatched sophistication and virtuosity to the stage.
The evening will feature selections from his acclaimed album “Point Less”, with dazzling arrangements by one of today’s most distinguished big band leaders, Ed Partyka. This is a concert to celebrate jazz, world-class musicianship, and pure vocal brilliance. Ola Onabulé’s performances are captivating and inspiring!
Find out more about the Užutrakis Manor House concerts here.
TICKETS
The evening will feature selections from his acclaimed album “Point Less”, with dazzling arrangements by one of today’s most distinguished big band leaders, Ed Partyka. This is a concert to celebrate jazz, world-class musicianship, and pure vocal brilliance. Ola Onabulé’s performances are captivating and inspiring!
Find out more about the Užutrakis Manor House concerts here.
TICKETS
september 10, 2026, 7 PM - American Jazz Night. Pauls, Abene, Ašmanis @ Spikeri concert hall
Several years ago, Raitis Ašmanis invited the legendary American arranger and Grammy Award winner Michael Abene to create his own interpretations of melodies by Maestro Raimonds Pauls. Now they will be performed by the Latvian Radio Big Band with Raitis Ašmanis as the conductor.
Raitis Ašmanis is a Latvian conductor and educator, one of the most important figures in the development of big band music in Latvia. He graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he later also worked as a lecturer, helping to foster the growth of young jazz musicians. The artist actively performs in Latvia and abroad, participating in various jazz and popular music projects, as well as creating concert programs that combine the traditions of classic jazz with contemporary arrangements. His work encompasses teaching, music production, and the leadership of big bands. Raitis Ašmanis currently leads the Jelgava Big Band and, since 2015, has also been the conductor and artistic director of the Šiauliai Big Band in Lithuania.
“American Jazz Night” at the Spīķeri Concert Hall is a concert series by the Latvian Radio Big Band that highlights the birthplace of jazz music – the United States – and the legends of jazz, especially of big band music.
tickets
Raitis Ašmanis is a Latvian conductor and educator, one of the most important figures in the development of big band music in Latvia. He graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, where he later also worked as a lecturer, helping to foster the growth of young jazz musicians. The artist actively performs in Latvia and abroad, participating in various jazz and popular music projects, as well as creating concert programs that combine the traditions of classic jazz with contemporary arrangements. His work encompasses teaching, music production, and the leadership of big bands. Raitis Ašmanis currently leads the Jelgava Big Band and, since 2015, has also been the conductor and artistic director of the Šiauliai Big Band in Lithuania.
“American Jazz Night” at the Spīķeri Concert Hall is a concert series by the Latvian Radio Big Band that highlights the birthplace of jazz music – the United States – and the legends of jazz, especially of big band music.
tickets
october 1, 2026, 7 pm - The Phil Collins Era | Latvian Radio Big Band, Busulis & Praulina @ riga congress center
The influence of Phil Collins over the course of his nearly 50-year long career is impossible to measure. As a drummer, he has long been regarded as one of the greatest in his field. In addition to his work with “Genesis”, Collins has sold approximately 150 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He also remains one of only three artists – alongside Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson – to have sold more than 100 million albums both – as solo artists and with their respective bands.
With this concert program, the Latvian Radio Big Band looks back on the achievements of the popular music genius of the 1980s and 1990s, Phil Collins, through the prism of a big band. The arrangements for the concert programme are made by keyboardist Toms Mikāls and saxophonist Kārlis Vanags. Big band music also held a special place in Collins’s own creative expression – his 1990s project, the “Phil Collins Big Band”, brought together some of the era’s finest performers and most prominent arrangers. Soloists - vocalists - in this programme are Intars Busulis and Kristine Praulina.
With this concert program, the Latvian Radio Big Band looks back on the achievements of the popular music genius of the 1980s and 1990s, Phil Collins, through the prism of a big band. The arrangements for the concert programme are made by keyboardist Toms Mikāls and saxophonist Kārlis Vanags. Big band music also held a special place in Collins’s own creative expression – his 1990s project, the “Phil Collins Big Band”, brought together some of the era’s finest performers and most prominent arrangers. Soloists - vocalists - in this programme are Intars Busulis and Kristine Praulina.
november 5, 2026, 7 pm - Latvian Radio Big Band | Lars Møller | IndoJazz @ RIGA CONGRESS CENTER
“Bridge of Melodies: From Scandinavia to India”
Danish saxophonist Lars Møller (born 1966) is known for his emotional and rhythmic melodicism, combining American, Indian and Scandinavian musical influences to create his own personal Nordic sound. Møller, who is not only a saxophonist, but also a composer, conductor and innovative big band leader, is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary Scandinavian jazz music. As the leader of both small ensembles and big bands, he has performed across Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia and has released several recordings, including the award-winning Kaleidoscope (1998).
In this project, Lars combines jazz and Indian traditional music together with two of the finest young musicians of his generation - shehnai master Ashwani Shankar and tabla virtuoso Zuheb Khan. This is Indo-jazz of the highest international caliber, featuring inventive rhythms and emotionally expressive melodic ragas. Thanks to Møller’s innovative approach to orchestration and his interest in the music of different cultures, he is able to create a unique musical voice that connects different traditions. Lars’s relationship with India and its music spans more than 30 years and he has studied as an apprentice under several masters of traditional musical instruments.
The concert program explores the meeting points between the Scandinavian jazz tradition and Indian traditional music, creating a unique intercultural experience. By combining the melodic and rhythmic richness of Indian music with the harmonic and atmospheric expansiveness of Scandinavian jazz, the music is designed to inspire and challenge both Indian and Western musicians alike.
tickets
Danish saxophonist Lars Møller (born 1966) is known for his emotional and rhythmic melodicism, combining American, Indian and Scandinavian musical influences to create his own personal Nordic sound. Møller, who is not only a saxophonist, but also a composer, conductor and innovative big band leader, is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary Scandinavian jazz music. As the leader of both small ensembles and big bands, he has performed across Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia and has released several recordings, including the award-winning Kaleidoscope (1998).
In this project, Lars combines jazz and Indian traditional music together with two of the finest young musicians of his generation - shehnai master Ashwani Shankar and tabla virtuoso Zuheb Khan. This is Indo-jazz of the highest international caliber, featuring inventive rhythms and emotionally expressive melodic ragas. Thanks to Møller’s innovative approach to orchestration and his interest in the music of different cultures, he is able to create a unique musical voice that connects different traditions. Lars’s relationship with India and its music spans more than 30 years and he has studied as an apprentice under several masters of traditional musical instruments.
The concert program explores the meeting points between the Scandinavian jazz tradition and Indian traditional music, creating a unique intercultural experience. By combining the melodic and rhythmic richness of Indian music with the harmonic and atmospheric expansiveness of Scandinavian jazz, the music is designed to inspire and challenge both Indian and Western musicians alike.
tickets
December 3, 2026, 7 pm - American Jazz Night. Big Band Composition Contest with Jiří Kotača @ spikeri concert hall
Award-winning Czech composer and trumpeter Jiří Kotača founded the “Cotatcha Orchestra” (featuring musicians from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria) about ten years ago with the vision of performing unusual and original big band music. Their repertoire ranges from works by world-renowned composers, such as Igor Stravinsky and Gil Evans, to contemporary Czech compositions for big band, as well as collaborations with outstanding international guest artists such as Ilya Reijngoud, Marc Vilaseca, Mirna Bogdanović and Daniel Kača. The orchestra’s album Bigband Electronics, in which the world of large jazz ensembles meets electronic music, was nominated for a Czech Grammy and received the Czech Jazz Album of the Year award.
Alongside the finalist works of the 5th Latvian Radio Big Band and Latvian Music Academy’s Big Band Composition Competition, Jiří Kotača, together with the Latvian Radio Big Band, will perform his original compositions, highlighting current trends in contemporary big band composition.
“American Jazz Night” at the Spīķeri Concert Hall is a concert series by the Latvian Radio Big Band that highlights the birthplace of jazz music – the United States – and the legends of jazz, especially of big band music.
Alongside the finalist works of the 5th Latvian Radio Big Band and Latvian Music Academy’s Big Band Composition Competition, Jiří Kotača, together with the Latvian Radio Big Band, will perform his original compositions, highlighting current trends in contemporary big band composition.
“American Jazz Night” at the Spīķeri Concert Hall is a concert series by the Latvian Radio Big Band that highlights the birthplace of jazz music – the United States – and the legends of jazz, especially of big band music.
December 17, 2026, 7 pm - Latvian Radio Big Band’s 60th Anniversary Concert @ riga congress center
60 Years of Music!
The 60th anniversary concert of the Latvian Radio Big Band is not only a celebration, it’s a story about sound, people and time. Latvian Radio Big Band, together with its closest creative collaborators – the charismatic British singer Ola Onabule, the outstanding Latvian vocalist Kristīne Prauliņa, the versatile Intars Busulis, as well as other special guests - instrumentalists and vocalists, who have been part of the big band’s creative journey – will take the stage together this wonderful evening.
The program is a musical retrospective, revealing the evolution of the big band’s identity – from its classical jazz roots to contemporary collaborations that cross genre boundaries. It will feature works from the ensemble’s discography, including big band compositions by Kārlis Vanags and suites by maestro Raimonds Pauls, highlighting the most significant collaborations and stylistic turning points of the past decade. The concert will also include internationally renowned pieces, the golden repertoire of jazz music, and jazz standards.
The 60th anniversary concert of the Latvian Radio Big Band is not only a celebration, it’s a story about sound, people and time. Latvian Radio Big Band, together with its closest creative collaborators – the charismatic British singer Ola Onabule, the outstanding Latvian vocalist Kristīne Prauliņa, the versatile Intars Busulis, as well as other special guests - instrumentalists and vocalists, who have been part of the big band’s creative journey – will take the stage together this wonderful evening.
The program is a musical retrospective, revealing the evolution of the big band’s identity – from its classical jazz roots to contemporary collaborations that cross genre boundaries. It will feature works from the ensemble’s discography, including big band compositions by Kārlis Vanags and suites by maestro Raimonds Pauls, highlighting the most significant collaborations and stylistic turning points of the past decade. The concert will also include internationally renowned pieces, the golden repertoire of jazz music, and jazz standards.
