Choir from Latvia to perform at Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage

On Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. the Riga Business School (RBS) Choir will be performing at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage in Washington, DC. (the event is free).

The RBS Choir was initially founded as a business project to reach the level of professionalism that would secure a place in the National song Festival, the UNESCO heritage event attracting more than 20,000 singers from Latvia and around the world once every five years. Under the skillful leadership of Conductor Einars Verro, Concertmistresses Maija Breiksa, Margarita Dudcaka, and President Ginta Petra, the Choir took part in 8 concerts in its first year of existence. In the competition for the place in the Song Festival, RBS Choir earned the highest marks among newly established choirs.

The choir's 2008/2009 season is devoted to the preparation for the North American Tour "Songs cross oceans and link businesses". The objective of the tour is to use songs to link people for productive cooperation between both continents and respective countries – the USA, Canada and Latvia. The Choir will be in Washington, DC following their participation in the XIII Latvian Song Festival of Canada in Hamilton.

RBS Choir’s repertoire is primarily contemporary. The Latvian music the Choir sings reflects both original works and traditional folk songs arranged by contemporary composers. The international repertoire is devoted to the popular choral music of the 20th century (Arvo Perts, Urmass Sisask, Rihards Dubra, Jackson Berkey).