[On Stage] "1991, the Independence of Joguk... I Dreamed of Becoming an Organist"

Latvian Organist Ieveta Apkalna Visits Korea for the First Time
Solo Recitals at Lotte Concert Hall and Bucheon Art Center

The year 1991 is etched in human history as the year the Cold War ended. For Ieveta Apkalna (49), a fifteen-year-old girl from Latvia who was freed from Soviet oppression after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a dream was born.

"With independence from the Soviet Union, Latvia became a free and democratic country. The churches reopened as well." This meant that Apkalna had the opportunity to play the church organ. "The organ, which was like a forbidden fruit during the Soviet occupation, became my dream and then my reality."

The world-renowned organist Apkalna is visiting Korea for the first time. She will hold consecutive solo concerts at two major venues in the metropolitan area equipped with large pipe organs. She will perform at Lotte Concert Hall on the 2nd of next month and at Bucheon Art Center on the 5th.

Organist Iveta Apkalna [Photo courtesy of Lotte Cultural Foundation, (c) ils Vilnis]

In a written interview with Asia Economy, Apkalna said she had known about the "king of instruments," the organ, since she was a child. "I grew up listening to many organ records on my mother's LP shelf. But this instrument felt like something I could never approach."

The nickname "king of instruments" for the organ was given by Mozart. Mozart was captivated by the organ's grand and diverse tones and wrote in a letter to his father Leopold that it would "forever be the king of all instruments."

Under Soviet oppression, Apkalna could not dream of playing the organ. "At that time, going to church was forbidden. Practicing faith could lead to severe punishment."

After independence, playing the organ made Apkalna realize that a new world had arrived. "The moment I first played the organ, I fell in love within just seven seconds. I realized, 'Yes, this is it. This is my instrument.' It felt as if my body and soul were fully immersed in the organ, like a fish swimming in water."

The organs at Lotte Concert Hall and Bucheon Art Center are made by different manufacturers. Lotte Concert Hall houses an organ by the Austrian organ maker Rieger, while Bucheon Art Center has an organ by the Canadian maker Casavant.

Apkalna said it would be interesting to compare the tones of each organ. She said, "Every organ has a unique and distinctive sound. Even when playing the same piece, each performance becomes a unique and special event."

Organist Iveta Apkalna
Photo by Lotte Cultural Foundation, (c) Ko-Cheng Lin

At this solo concert, Apkalna will perform Bach's organ masterpieces considered among his greatest works, including 'Passacaglia' and 'Chaconne,' as well as the six-voice Ricercar from 'The Musical Offering.' She will also play 'Light and Darkness,' a piece by 20th-century composer Sofia Gubaidulina known for its spiritual depth, and the postlude of Jan??ek's 'Glagolitic Mass.' The first piece will be the Passacaglia from Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.'

Apkalna debuted in 2007 performing with the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of maestro Claudio Abbado. Since then, she has performed with world-renowned orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, and the LA Philharmonic. Since 2017, she has served as the resident organist at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. In 2005, she became the first organist to receive the Echo Klassik Award in the 'Instrumentalist of the Year' category, and in 2018, she was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, Latvia's highest honor, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Latvia's founding.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.