Arturs Maskats is one of today’s most renowned Latvian composers. His music is emotional and full of individual musical expression. The composer has been awarded the prestigious Latvian Music Prize four times.

Maskats’ composition My River runs to thee was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Leipzig Gewandhaus Symphony Orchestra. The world premiere of the work took place in Boston Symphony Hall on 21 November 2019. The Boston Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Andris Nelson. My River runs to thee was inspired by poetess Emily Dickinson’s namesake poem. “I have used her poetic images of the sea, a summer’s day and loneliness in the musical narrative,” said the composer. Maskats’ score contains another entry – In memoriam Andrejs Žagars. Dedication to and remembrance of the composer’s friend, a prominent Latvian cultural personality. Andrejs Žagars was a long-standing general director of the Latvian National Opera, a film and drama actor, and an opera director.

Maskats’ wistful composition is performed by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas.