Baltic Landscapes: Songs of Nature, Folklore and the Baltic Spirit
Through diverse repertoire, storytelling and imaginative staging, Alta Collective presents a carefully curated concert that invites audiences into a sonic journey across the Baltic landscape.
Set within the evocative Long Room at the Immigration Museum, the program celebrates the enduring relationship between music, nature and cultural inheritance, while highlighting the living, evolving legacy of Baltic choral traditions.
Drawing on the rich choral traditions of the Baltic countries, this concert presents music by Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish composers including Veljo Tormis, Laura Jēkabsone and Ēriks Ešenvalds, alongside a world premiere by Latvian Australian composer Aija Draguns, commissioned by Alta Collective.
Estonian composer Veljo Tormis’ Nature Pictures (Looduspildid) anchors the concert, vividly capturing the changing seasons through musical imagery drawn from ancient folk traditions. As Tormis famously said, “I do not use folk song. It is folk song that uses me.”
Jēkabsone’s intricate Latvian harmonies and playful rhythmic motifs, and Ešenvalds’ ethereal sound world shaped by subtle folk influences, further enrich the program, each reflecting a deep connection between music, nature and folklore.
Draguns’ new work takes its inspiration from Mēnessnakts (Moonlit Night), a poem by Latvian writer Aspāzija. Throughout the poem, the moon becomes a steady, consoling presence – dissolving sorrow, softening pain and weaving truth and dreams together in its quiet light. Responding to this imagery, Draguns uses cyclic, folk-like motifs and harmonic patterns to evoke the moon’s constancy and calm, allowing repetition and gentle transformation to shape the musical form. The result is a contemplative and atmospheric work that draws listeners into a space of stillness, reflection and quiet wonder.
Supported by Museums Victoria and Robert Salzer Foundation
Tickets
Adult $40
Senior $37
Child $28
Concession $34
Member Adult $31
Member Child $25
Date & Time
Friday 13 March
7 to 8:30pm
An established voice on the Melbourne chamber music scene, Alta Collective is known for its fresh and genre-defying approach to treble vocal music. Combining movement, story-telling and the collective verve of experienced singers, Alta breathes life into a world of music written for high voices.
Alta frequently collaborates with other artists and venues to explore new works and innovative performance formats. Significant collaborations include a shared concert with Sjaella (Germany), a public workshop at the Melbourne Recital Centre with The Gesualdo Six (UK), a concert in Tempo Rubato’s Minimalism series, and a collaboration and recording with Malcolm Dalglish (USA). Alta has also created visually driven performances with projection artist Agata Mayes, and collaborated with local contemporary musicians Monique Clare, Alice Hurwood and Pat Jaffe.
In 2024, Alta received an ABC Classic Composer Commission to record Earth-Shaped Hearts, a new song cycle by Juliana Kay, released through ABC Classic. The work was nominated as a finalist for Choral Work of the Year at the 2024 APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, with the first movement, Stay a Moment, released in March 2025 as part of ABC Classic’s Women of Note No. 7 compilation. In 2026, Alta premiered a newly commissioned choral arrangement of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s epic song cycle Penelope.
The name Alta comes from the feminine form of the Latin word for “high” and the choral designation “alto”. It reflects Alta Collective’s core mission: to bring depth, richness and imagination to music for high voices.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at mvbookings@museum.vic.gov.au to discuss how we can support your visit.
