Klaus Nomi’s haunting counter-tenor voice and distinctive futuristic costumes made him a sensation in the New York cabaret scene of the 1970s and 80s, where he performed everything from pop to Purcell with startling and utterly riveting poise and showmanship. Since his untimely death at the age of just 39, he has become a cult figure, whose almost childlike celebration of performance and song casts a ghostly shadow across today’s shrewd and sexualised musical culture. Nomi was a childhood idol for Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth – herself an artist of great scope, who studied both painting and film as well as composition. Back in 1998, she began working with songs from Nomi’s repertory and in 2013 she completed the project. Her arrangements are vivid, edgy and vibrant and we are thrilled to have German vocalist Daniel Gloger join us on stage for this wonderful project. For the first half of this event, we’ll be performing a programme of music by Latvian composers, first played by BIT20 Ensemble at the Arena festival in Riga, in 2016.

Composers: Olga Neuwirth, Santa Bušs, Andris Dzenītis, Gundega Šmite

Conductor: Trond Madsen

Vocals: Daniel Gloger, Alwynne Pritchard