World Choir Games 2014 - Programme

Venues
Great Hall of Rīga Stradiņš University
(Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes lielā aula)
Competitions and concerts
The Great Hall at the Rīga Stradiņš University (Rīga Medical Institute) commenced
operating in 2009. The hall is the central venue for the university’s
most important academic and social events such as matriculation and graduation
ceremonies, scientific conferences, inauguration and anniversary
celebrations, amateur concerts and performances, etc.
The hall possesses significant advantages in its acoustic properties and
multi-functional capabilities. The hall, having excellent acoustics. It was
built according to a high-end acoustic design, so it is especially suited to
classical as well as contemporary music and acoustic concerts, both by
soloists and orchestras.
Address: Dzirciema iela 16, Rīga LV1007
Culture Palace "Ziemeļblāzma"
(Kultūras pils “Ziemeļblāzma”)
Competitions
A half-hour drive from the city centre, the Vecmīlgrāvis northern suburb is home
to a nationally significant architectural monument – the Ziemeļblāzma Culture
Palace, surrounded by 5 hectares of parkland.
Expanding the activities of his temperance society, the Ziemeļblāzma Culture Palace
was built in 1913 by timber industrialist and philanthropist Augusts Dombrovskis
to provide a fulfilling social and cultural life for the surrounding population. The
philanthropist’s respect for cultural values is amply demonstrated by the fact that,
at the start of World War I, the repository of Latvian folk songs, Dainu skapis (Cabinet
of Folksongs) was concealed in the basement of the Culture Palace.
Just a few years before the palace’s centenary in 2013, it was in extremely poor
technical condition and looking very bedraggled, hence its restoration was started
in 2011 with the support of the Rīga municipality so that palace could once again
flourish in its full glory. After the renovation, it has become an important national
and city centre for the promotion and presentation of the arts.
The parkland serves not only as a leisure area for local residents, but also as a
venue for diverse cultural events. Ziemeļblāzma regularly hosts concerts, performances
and exhibitions, and other important cultural events.
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Address: Ziemeļblāzmas iela 36, Rīga LV1015