Sansusi Evenings
Sansusī Evenings are like a one-night branch of the Sansusī Festival — musically high-quality, emotionally rich, and beloved events that can be described as a cultural dessert with four layers. Their unique format brings academic music to life. These are evenings with academic music, circus, poetry, bars, and musician battles, often ending with a 20-minute disco.
So far, Sansusī Evenings have taken place in Rīga, Cēsis, and Valmiera.
Sansusī Evenings promote the accessibility of contemporary art in the regions of Latvia, especially for various social groups. Their goal is to bring culture closer to regional residents by offering an engaging program with diverse contemporary art events.
Sansusi Evening in Riga I
Its that time of the year. Time for slow, slow remembering of summer. For bonfires and naked trees and bars with contemporary classics and it’s time for curious experiments.
During the evening of 4th of November, 2016, in Zunda Garden there was a chance to hear Raivis Misjuns – “Short Course in double bass play” Oscar Herlin – “String Quartet no. 1 “, Andris Dzenītis -” Men’s songs 2 Workbook “and Anton Safronov -” The Tale of Turnips. ” And two bars were arguing over whose pianist is the best!
The program was performed by: Raivis Misjuns (bass), Aldis Liepiņš (piano), Armands Siliņš-Bergmanis (baritone), quartet “Quadra” – Arvid Zvagulis (violin), Ivar Brinums (violin), Peter Trasuns (viola), Karl Klotins (cello). Poet Agnese Krivade and pianists Martin Zilberts and Richard Plešanovs.
Sansusi Evening in Riga II
For the second time, Sansusī opened a one-night branch in Riga. On May 26, 2017, in “Zunda Dārzs”. With academic music, circus, poetry, bars and pianist fights.
The evening program included
19.00 – Uncorking of both bars
20.00 – Ēriks Kiršfelds with electric cello
21:00 – Jānis Ruņģis with guitar and pedals
22.30 – Grete Gross (Estonia) with the contemporary circus show “Confines” (participating Ēriks Kiršfelds (cello), Ventis Zilberts (piano), and Ance Strazda (voice)
23.30 – “Pianist Fights in Bars” with the feisty Agnese Egliņa and Liene Circene. Between rounds, the unstoppable poet Leons Briedis.
00.00 – “Twenty Minute Disco” with Dāvis Kaņepe.
Sansusi Evening in Riga III
It was time for us to meet again. For us to talk and see and be silent and think. On May 26, 2017, it was time for the third Evening in Riga, on Krūmiņsala.
The evening’s plan is as follows:
19:00 – Uncorking of both bars (and dishes from “Therapy”)
20:00 – Concert “XXI” with Eni Nael (harpsichord), Guntis Kuzma (clarinet), Nadīne Zapacka (flute), Guntars Freibergs (percussion) and Ēriks Kiršfelds (cello)
21:15 – Return to the festival through a short film by Tom Harjo
21:45 – Dan Le Man’s physical comedy
23:00 – “Pianist Fights in Bars”. Between the rounds, the youngest poet – Valters Dakša.
00:00 – “Twenty Minute Disco” with Platon Buravitski.
Sansusi Evening in Riga IV
On April 27, 2018, it took place in the Tallinna Street block, in a hangar that we created as a branch of Sansusī in Riga for concerts, performances, and other contemporary art forms, which we called “Tu jau zini Kur!”
The evening program was as follows:
19.00 – Uncorking of both bars (and dishes from “Therapy”)
20.00 – Solo concert – Jan Jakub Monowid (countertenor Poland) with Beata Szebesczyk at the piano
21.30 – Object theater. “Strange death and perfect bodies” (performance in progress). Archaeologists of the future, who form relationships with contemporary objects. Mentor – Davide Giovanzana
22.30 – Return to the exhibition/performance “Dark Night of the Soul” by Atis Jākabsons and Anna Fišere (Cherry) through a short film by Tom Harjo.
23.00 – “Pianist Fights in Bars”. With Agnese Egliņa and Rihards Plešanovs.
00.30 – “Twenty Minute Disco” with Platon Buravitski.
Sansusi Evening in Riga V
The fifth and final Sansusī Evening in Riga, on May 25, 2025, in the small, crazy concert hall “Tu jau zini Kur!” in the Tallinna Street quarter.
19:00 Bar Uncorking
20:00 Concert – Lea Trommenschläger (soprano, France) and Matīss Čudars (guitar)
21:45 Contemporary Dance – performance Ranunculus – Daniella Eriksson (dancer, Sweden)
22:45 Pianist Fight – Platons Buravickis (piano), Ēvalds Lazarēvičs (piano), in the interlude Grēte Gross (poetry)
0:15 20-minute disco – at the buttons Toms Auniņš
Sansusi Evening in Riga VI
May 17, 2019. “Tu jau zini Kur!”, in the Tallinna Street quarter. With a classic solo concert for a coloratura soprano (Olga Pudova, pianist Jana Zubova), with a structured butoh improvisational performance (Simona Orinska, Arvis Kantiševs, Andrejs Krūmiņš), with the most aggressive of musicians – a fistfight (Elīna Endzele, Elvijs Endelis), poetry (Laura Elcere), with the immortal 20-minute disco (Rolands Kronlaks).
Sansusi Evening in Cēsis I
On the evening of July 11, 2020, the creative team of Sansusī invited the residents of Cēsis and its guests to take part in a creative provocation — or, in other words, to enjoy a cultural dessert in four layers — at the event “Evening in Cēsis,” held in the courtyard of the Rucka Residency Centre.
The official part of the evening began at 6:00 p.m., according to “Sansusī time,” with a harpsichord concert by Ieva Saliete, combining Baroque and contemporary compositions. The evening continued with the contemporary dance performance “Labrys” by Krišjānis Sants and Ieva Gaurilčikaite, which gives the deceptive impression of being logically organized, yet one can quickly get lost within it.
For a fuller emotional experience, the third course of the dessert featured a musician battle between pianists — the wild Ēvalds Lazarevičs and the charming duel champion Agnese Egliņa. And then, to absorb all that had been experienced, came some jumping around — the traditional Sansusī 20-minute disco, with music provided by DJ Platons Buravickis.
The project was co-financed by the Vidzeme Planning Region within the Vidzeme Cultural Program, supported by Latvijas Valsts Meži and the State Culture Capital Foundation.
Sansusi Evening in Riga VII
The musical evening was opened by a concert by the piano quartet Quadra and violinist Konstantinas Paturskis at 6:30 p.m. This was followed by a contemporary dance performance by Lithuanian choreographer Vilma Pitrinaite “It’s not your dream”, followed by Jānis Pelše and Aigars Reinis “Ērģeļkautiņš” at 10:00 p.m. The evening was concluded by a 20-minute green ballad with a medley from the repertoire of the “Brāļu miltus pūtēju” band.
Sansusi Evening in Cēsis II
July 31, 2021, at the Rucka Art Residency Center.
At that time, the following dessert courses were held:
17.00 Bar uncorking
19.00 Artists’ Association “Grafienes” performance “Creation”
20.30 Concert by Aigars Reinis (organ) and Aigars Raumanis (saxophone) with compositions by Filips Glas
22.00 “Battle” of trained vocal cords (opera songs by Armands Silis and Kalvis Kalniņš). There will also be a poet.
23.30 20-minute disco
The concert was created in collaboration with the Cēsis municipality and the Vidzeme culture program.
Sansusi Evening in Riga VIII
Sansusī Evening in Riga VIII took place on June 10, 2022, on the uninhabited Krūmiņsala island in the lower reaches of the Daugava River near the border of Riga. Already from 6:00 p.m., rafters were waiting for guests to be transferred to the wild island, where they would experience four genre-specific parts until midnight.
At the beginning of the evening, one of Latvia’s most energetic and active pianists, Agnese Egliņa, performed a solo program of contemporary piano music, performing George Lewis’s Blombos Workshop, created in 2020.
Guests from Sweden – the contemporary circus troupe “ENT” – presented their performance “Aeldre” (“Elder”): a poetic story expressed in the language of music and movement, a performance of a sense of place for a large tree. The performance is intended for all ages, and the artists emphasize that they see the performance as a place for different generations to come together.
In the third part, “Analog synthesizer battle” – two masters of analog synthesizer playing – Platons Buravickis and Kaspars Rolšteins – competed in musical skill and wit. During the break in the fight, a reading from the poet’s mouth.
At the end of the evening at Sansusī, visitors had the opportunity to use their accumulated creative energy and put it to use in a 20-minute green ball. Otherwise, it is a disco, but considering the location of the event close to nature, the organizers decided to let the guests of Sansusī dance to the music of wind instruments, this time waltzing and foxtroting.
Sansusi Evening in Valmiera
September 16, 2023, in the territory of the Valmiera Water Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant (Grīšļu Street 6).
As usual, the event was held in three rounds with a cherry on top.
At the beginning of the evening, opera singer and founder of the Sansusī festival Armands Siliņš-Bergmanis, together with percussionist Reinis Tomiņš, performed a chamber music program centered on Andris Dzenītis’ cycle “Mēra dziesmas” (2022) and Alise Rancāne’s “Lauka galā” (premiere).
In the middle of the evening, there was a tense semi-final of the Sansusī musicians’ fighting tournament.
The evening concludes with a questioning and exploration of physical balance in the performance “Fineline” (https://www.lumocompany.com/fineline) by the Finnish contemporary circus troupe “Lumo company”, which also features Latvian pianist Ēvalds Lazarevičs.
The evening’s highlight – a 20-minute disco to release energy
Sansusī evening in Valmiera was created with the support of the State Culture Capital Foundation, Dynamic City and Valmiera Municipality
Sansusi Evening in Riga IX
On November 25, 2023, the evening at Sansusī was more special
with Grēte Gross (EE) contemporary circus performance “Kehakõne”, which balances between ceremony and performance, allowing the audience to connect with the artist both physically and spiritually, as well as at times experience contemporary circus from unusual perspectives.
with the chamber music concert “Ziemas epizode”, in which it was possible to hear some of Latvia’s most attractive, musically transcending ensembles – Tresensus and Quadra. The program was supplemented by less frequently seen, but no less interesting academic music duets, making the “Ziemas epizode” program kaleidoscopic. This was also a great opportunity to capture yourself in a frame of the Sansusī “Ziemas epizode” 2023, as the concert was filmed and a New Year’s Eve video episode was created from it.
with The Fight, which was given to a spoken text – actors – this evening, with some musical interludes.
with a 20-minute metal discharge – this time there was a special energy discharge through the heaviest of rock music genres.