The Basics
Photo © Damil Kalogjera
· „Kremerata Baltica” is an outstanding chamber orchestra consisting of 27 young Baltic states musicians. The youngest member is 20 years old and the oldest is 37, the „average age” of orchestra is 27.· The orchestra musicians also participate in concerts labeled as „Kremerata Musica”, featuring chamber music formations of various sizes.
· Their founder, artistic director and solo violinist is renowned violinist Gidon Kremer, whose exceptional solo career spans over three decades.
· Kremer has handpicked some of the most exceptional young instrumental talent originating from the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to form Kremerata Baltica.
· Kremerata Baltica is a truly international orchestra. Contrasted with a traditional orchestra that is anchored in one city, works together everyday and tours occasionally, Kremerata Baltica’s raison d’être is international touring, which it does five to six times per year, including one tour in the Baltic States.
· Since Kremer created his orchestra in 1997, Kremerata Baltica has performed in the world’s greatest halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich, the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the Royal Albert Hall in London and at major festivals such as the Salzburg Festival and the BBC Proms in London.
· With an average age of 27, the musicians of Kremerata Baltica may give the impression of being a youth orchestra, when in fact they are a young professional orchestra. While half of the members of the orchestra are already working musicians, the other half are currently completing their studies, yet they all share the same work ethic within the orchestra: resolutely professional.
· Kremerata Baltica is managed by Impressariat Simmenauer in Hamburg, Germany, and is administrated by a not-for-profit foundation in Hamburg („Kremerata Baltica Stiftung”) and a not-for-profit corporation in Latvia („Latvian State Company Ltd”).
Fostering young talent
· Rare is the opportunity for orchestra members to work so regularly and so intimately with such an esteemed master: Gidon Kremer has joyfully shared his rich artistic experience with the young musicians of Kremerata Baltica not only by serving as their artistic director but by actually playing with them in the orchestra as solo violinist.
· Gidon Kremer intentionally selected young, enthusiastic musicians for his orchestra in order to stave off the feared „orchestritis” that afflicts career orchestra musicians and to generate a perpetual electrifying energy in the ensemble that has infected audiences and critics alike.
· Since its inception and despite a restricted budget, Kremerata Baltica has made it a priority to financially support its members - however modestly - in one of two ways. It provides guaranteed annual fees to those who have launched their professional careers, and it provides an annual stipend to those members who are completing their studies.
· Another example of Kremerata Baltica's efforts to assist its members in their musical development is to assist them in acquiring an instrument if they do not have one of their own or if their instrument is in poor condition.
The Baltic Connection
· In a rare example of international cultural cooperation between several governments, the Ministries of Culture of the Governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jointly signed a protocol stipulating their support of Kremerata Baltica both morally and financially. Little did they know that Kremerata Baltica would become the most high-profile, artistically distinguished cultural ambassadors for the Baltic States.
· Kremerata Baltica is the realization of Kremer’s belief that music can overcome all barriers of language and culture. With his orchestra, Kremer has helped create a cultural bridge between three neighboring countries with strikingly different national identities.
„It's the repertoire, stupid!”
· As Kremerata Baltica's Artistic Director, Gidon Kremer has demonstrated an innovative approach to choice of repertoire. Kremerata Baltica's programs have boasted a number of unusual works, notably transcriptions of known works performed in an unconventional manner and seemingly incongruous pairings of composers (for example, Vivaldi and Piazzola).
· Kremerata Baltica already boasts an impressive list of world premieres of new works by a variety of primarily Eastern European composers, including of course composers from the Baltic States.
Grammy-Award winners
· With its latest release, „Russian Seasons,” Kremerata Baltica has just completed its seventh recording as exclusive artists for Nonesuch Records, a Warner Brothers label. Kremerata Baltica has released nine recordings to date, the first two under the Teldec label.
· Kremerata Baltica was awarded a Grammy Award in 2002 in the category Classical Music: Best Small Ensemble Recording for its recording „After Mozart” (Nonesuch). They were nominated again in 2003 for their recording of works by Enescu.
· Their founder, artistic director and solo violinist is renowned violinist Gidon Kremer, whose exceptional solo career spans over three decades.
· Kremer has handpicked some of the most exceptional young instrumental talent originating from the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to form Kremerata Baltica.
· Kremerata Baltica is a truly international orchestra. Contrasted with a traditional orchestra that is anchored in one city, works together everyday and tours occasionally, Kremerata Baltica’s raison d’être is international touring, which it does five to six times per year, including one tour in the Baltic States.
· Since Kremer created his orchestra in 1997, Kremerata Baltica has performed in the world’s greatest halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich, the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the Royal Albert Hall in London and at major festivals such as the Salzburg Festival and the BBC Proms in London.
· With an average age of 27, the musicians of Kremerata Baltica may give the impression of being a youth orchestra, when in fact they are a young professional orchestra. While half of the members of the orchestra are already working musicians, the other half are currently completing their studies, yet they all share the same work ethic within the orchestra: resolutely professional.
· Kremerata Baltica is managed by Impressariat Simmenauer in Hamburg, Germany, and is administrated by a not-for-profit foundation in Hamburg („Kremerata Baltica Stiftung”) and a not-for-profit corporation in Latvia („Latvian State Company Ltd”).
Fostering young talent
· Rare is the opportunity for orchestra members to work so regularly and so intimately with such an esteemed master: Gidon Kremer has joyfully shared his rich artistic experience with the young musicians of Kremerata Baltica not only by serving as their artistic director but by actually playing with them in the orchestra as solo violinist.
· Gidon Kremer intentionally selected young, enthusiastic musicians for his orchestra in order to stave off the feared „orchestritis” that afflicts career orchestra musicians and to generate a perpetual electrifying energy in the ensemble that has infected audiences and critics alike.
· Since its inception and despite a restricted budget, Kremerata Baltica has made it a priority to financially support its members - however modestly - in one of two ways. It provides guaranteed annual fees to those who have launched their professional careers, and it provides an annual stipend to those members who are completing their studies.
· Another example of Kremerata Baltica's efforts to assist its members in their musical development is to assist them in acquiring an instrument if they do not have one of their own or if their instrument is in poor condition.
The Baltic Connection
· In a rare example of international cultural cooperation between several governments, the Ministries of Culture of the Governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jointly signed a protocol stipulating their support of Kremerata Baltica both morally and financially. Little did they know that Kremerata Baltica would become the most high-profile, artistically distinguished cultural ambassadors for the Baltic States.
· Kremerata Baltica is the realization of Kremer’s belief that music can overcome all barriers of language and culture. With his orchestra, Kremer has helped create a cultural bridge between three neighboring countries with strikingly different national identities.
„It's the repertoire, stupid!”
· As Kremerata Baltica's Artistic Director, Gidon Kremer has demonstrated an innovative approach to choice of repertoire. Kremerata Baltica's programs have boasted a number of unusual works, notably transcriptions of known works performed in an unconventional manner and seemingly incongruous pairings of composers (for example, Vivaldi and Piazzola).
· Kremerata Baltica already boasts an impressive list of world premieres of new works by a variety of primarily Eastern European composers, including of course composers from the Baltic States.
Grammy-Award winners
· With its latest release, „Russian Seasons,” Kremerata Baltica has just completed its seventh recording as exclusive artists for Nonesuch Records, a Warner Brothers label. Kremerata Baltica has released nine recordings to date, the first two under the Teldec label.
· Kremerata Baltica was awarded a Grammy Award in 2002 in the category Classical Music: Best Small Ensemble Recording for its recording „After Mozart” (Nonesuch). They were nominated again in 2003 for their recording of works by Enescu.
