Sinfonietta Rīga is a Latvian chamber orchestra based in Rīga.
History The Latvian oboist Normunds Šnē founded Sinfonietta Rīga in 2006 and became its first artistic director. Consisting of young students, the orchestra is influenced by Western and Eastern culture. Arvo Pärt's works were presented by the ensemble at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. The chamber ensemble has recorded with WERGO and Ondine. Guest conductors of the ensemble have included Paavo Järvi.
In addition to standard Western European classical repertoire, Sinfonietta Rīga often plays Latvian and Baltic music and commissions works by contemporary Latvian composers. Important are collaborations with Jörg Widmann, Christian Lindberg and Martin Grubinger. Another orchestra from Riga is the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra.
Šnē is scheduled to stand down as the ensemble's artistic director at the close of the 2026-2027 season. In May 2026, the orchestra announced the appointment of Olari Elts as its next artistic director, effective with the 2026-2027 season.
Awards 2007, 2008, 2015, 2018 Grand Music Award Latvia 2014 Grammy Award for Pärt's Adam's Lament
Discography
Artistic directors Normunds Šnē (2006–present) Olari Elts (designate, effective autumn 2026)
References
External links