Academic Centre
Thanks to the support of the patrons of the University of Latvia (UL) Foundation, the UL Mixed Choir "Aura" is actively preparing to participate in the XVI Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Canada. Under the direction of the choir's conductor Edgars Vitols and in collaboration with the famous Latvian composer Raimonds Tiguls, the choir will offer a rich artistic repertoire. In addition to the concerts, the choir will also take part in the Midsummer celebrations in the Canadian town of Tervete and the official patron's reception organised by the University of Latvia Foundation at the "Sheraton" Hotel on the afternoon of 4 July.
Baiba Ebulina, Chair of the Board of the LU Foundation, says: "We are happy and proud that the "Aura" Choir has this excellent opportunity to be a guest choir at the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Toronto. These meetings are invaluable for the preservation of our national culture and traditions far from home, being a bridge between generations and continents. At the same time, it is also a strong impulse for our choristers and the team of the LU Foundation to carry the message of the University of Latvia to the wider world, proving that the University of Latvia is not only an educational institution, but also a driving force of Latvian society, because the University of Latvia = the forge of Latvia!"
During the Song Festival, "Aura" will delight with a repertoire of folk songs, allowing the audience to discover their diversity, richness and place in Latvian choral music. The performances will include works by modern Latvian composers, including compositions by the festival's special guest Raimonds Tiguls.
North American Latvians have long been a very important supporter of projects and scholarships developed by the University of Latvia. To thank them for their contribution and at the same time to present the most ambitious projects of the University of Latvia and its Foundation in the coming years, the Patrons' Reception will bring together current and potential patrons of the University in a relaxed atmosphere.
One of the most important projects, which the representatives of the UL Foundation will talk more about at the reception, will be "Latvian - Nobel Laureate". The aim is to provide Latvia with its first Nobel Laureate by 2050. The project has already received donations from several patrons, but at least EUR 80 000 more are needed to get it off the ground.
Equally important are projects such as the creation of the University of Latvia Academic Centre Health House; the relocation of the Brass Library; the Presidential Readings at the University of Latvia and many others, about which more information will be available during the Patrons' Reception.
See you in Toronto!
