Composer Eriks Esenvalds is on the west coast of the USA for the second time in a month. Having heard the premiere of his new 30 minute work for choir and orchestra “I hold the sunset in my hand”, written for the Cabrillo Chorus and Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra last month, today he visits the University of Washington to talk about his Nordic Light multimedia symphony and to show the documentary film which captures his travels to Iceland, Greenland, Alaska and Scandinavia to record local folk songs and stories about the Northern Lights. Following that he spends time with the Valley Concert Chorale in San Francisco. Eriks’ website news gives more information here.

Between these visits to the USA, his opera The Immured was performed at the National Latvian Opera in Riga. Eriks also worked with the Florida Gulf Coast University Chamber Choir in Riga as part of their international tour.