‘The greatest and most valuable mission of music is the interaction of sound with the deepest layers of human perception,’ says Marta Kauliņa-Pelnēna, an imaginative and versatile percussionist. In this program, she will share the stage with the String Quartet Berči, known in Liepāja and across Latvia for performing compositions that encourage presence.

The string quartet, combined with the sounds of the vibraphone and the marimba, creates a fabulously beautiful atmosphere, and this program honors music created in Latvia.

For this concert and upon invitation from Marta Kauliņa-Pelnēna, Rihards Dubra has composed a new work for the vibraphone and string quartet ‘Tauriņi vējā’ (‘Butterflies in the Wind’). He once dedicated his opus ‘Magnolija’ (‘Magnolia’) for solo vibraphone to the percussionist, and this will also be performed at the October 25 concert. It is a virtuoso composition, yet its sound gives transcendental peace. In an interview with Latvijas Radio 3 Klasika, Marta described it: ‘To create this music in such a way that it is interesting to listen to, to have different timbres, so that these ten minutes are a rich and exciting journey – this is a challenge for both the composer and the performer.’

To honor a grand of Latvian music, Pēteris Vasks, whose anniversary we are celebrating this year, the artists will be performing the composer's String Quartet No. 5, which reveals the most intimate depths of string instruments. Pēteris Vasks says: ‘In this composition, my desire was to show that we are all part of the world and the world is in us; to talk about the existence of idealism and its necessity, about love all around us and within us. The Quartet consists of two contrasting movements. The first movement, ‘being present’, immediately leads to an atmosphere of high emotional tension. The prevailing atmospheric elements of the music are dramatic and passionate. In contrast to that, a second theme is intoned three times – an invitation, a memory of the existence of another world, a light-house which illuminates the twilight in which we live so often. But this invitation remains unheard. The second movement, ‘so distant ... yet so near’, is the calm, unhurried vocal section of the quartet. A forgiving, loving look at a world tortured by grief and contradictions.’

Georgs Pelēcis’ warm and audience-beloved composition ‘Plaukstošais jasmīns’ (‘Flowering Jasmine’) will blossom in a special arrangement where, instead of the customary string orchestra, a much subtler and more transparent interplay will be offered by a string quartet with vibraphone solo. The program also includes a sensual composition for violin and vibraphone by Jēkabs Jančevskis, ‘Meditācija gaismai’ (‘Meditation for Light’).

Marta Kauliņa-Pelnēna has long been a percussionist with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra. Alongside her work with the orchestra, the artist participates in various recording sessions and chamber music projects, collaborating with composers like Jēkabs Jančevskis, Rihards Dubra, Georgs Pelēcis, Arturs Maskats, actress Karīna Tatarinova, musicians Beāte Zviedre and Igo, choir Kamēr…, and many others.

Marta is not only a performer, but a composer as well – she has written music for the Liepāja Radio Theater reading ‘Nenoteiktā bija’ (‘The Indefinite Was’) and repeatedly performed her original music and improvisations together with colleague Mārtiņš Zālītis as A9.

Since 2021, the String Quartet Berči has brought together four promising young musicians – Gunārs Mūrnieks, Diāna Reimane, Elīna Čipāne, and Klāvs Jankevics. The ensemble’s name was inspired by the work of architect Paul Max Bertschy, who played a significant role in Liepāja, and the Quartet first played together at the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra festival Rimbenieks. The Quartet are known for their curated repertoire that reflects the artists’ temperaments, youthful energy, and openness to creative collaborations. They enthusiastically perform both classics of world chamber music and works by Latvian composers, working with Pēteris Vasks and Rihards Dubra, among others.

Artists:
Marta Kauliņa-Pelnēna – vibraphone, marimba

String Quartet Berči:
Gunārs Mūrnieks – violin
Diāna Reimane – violin
Elīna Čipāne – viola
Klāvs Jankevics – cello

As with all concerts of the series Personally, the audience will be able to meet the musicians after the concert to enjoy informal conversations about their creative paths, sources of inspiration, and challenges, in the 2nd floor gallery.

Other events of the autumn 2026 season of the concert series Personally:
SEPTEMBER 20 | SUNDAY | 15.00  POETRY CONCERT ‘YOUTH’
DECEMBER 6 | SUNDAY | 15.00 THE VINETA SAREIKA TRIO AND SCHUBERT