Earlier this month, two new symphonies were premiered in Latvian concert halls. On 9 May, in Riga’s Large Guild Hall, the Latvian National Symphony orchestra (LNSO) and pianist Aurēlija Šimkus under conductor Jānis Stafeckis premiered Ēriks’ new symphony The Waters Have Begun To Surge, alongside performances of Schumann’s Manfred Overture and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 5 in E-flat Major. On 11 May, Ēriks’ new quasi-symphony The Letters, set to fragments of the final texts ever written by a number of Latvian writers and poets, was premiered by State Choir Latvija and pianist Reinis Zariņš under conductor Māris Sirmais in Cēsis Concert Hall, marking the hall’s 10th anniversary.