Performances in 2019: 5th May at "Gors" (Rezekne, Latvia) and 11th, 12th May at Dzintari Concert hall (Jurmala, Latvia).

Project was nominated for the Latvian national media award "Kilograms kultūras" 2018, Latvian Great Music Award 2018, and received the "Delfi" Audience Award.

From the 19th of May to the 10th of June 2018, the Riga Art Space exhibition hall displayed an exhibition dedicated to great Latvian artist Ilmārs Blumbergs, “Kalpotājs. Blumbergs. Kamēr…”, which was musically enriched on the 23rd and 24th of May by seven world premieres of works inspired by Blumbergs’ art as performed by Youth Choir Kamēr… and conductor Jānis Liepiņš.

Expressive artist Ilmārs Blumbergs has left a bright, permanent legacy to Latvian culture, and his Servant figure personifies a meaningful symbol which brought a special spiritual dimension to the unusual concert exhibition genre. Ilmārs Blumbergs’ art, just like Kamēr…’s music, contains no compromises - immersion, attention, piety and service dominate. The artist was a collaborator of Youth Choir Kamēr… from its beginnings, and it was Blumbergs who created the choir’s visual identity, logo, and designs for albums and concert posters.

In celebration of Latvia’s Centenary and in honour of Ilmārs Blumbergs’ contribution, performing among works imbued with the Servant theme, Youth Choir Kamēr… presented seven world premieres as part of a specially created concert programme taking inspiration from the motifs of Blumbergs’ art and life. The pieces have been created by loyal friends of the choir - composers Georgs Pelēcis, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Pēteris Vasks, Juris Karlsons, Gabriel Jackson, Dobrinka Tabakova and Vytautas Miškinis. With Blumbergs’ works and Kamēr… together in the exhibition hall under the leadership of artistic director Jānis Liepiņš, audience members enjoyed a unique audiovisual experience with the help of director Viesturs Kairišs, choreographer Elīna Lutce and lighting designer Egils Kupčs. The curators of the concert exhibition were Luīze Lismane and Ilmārs Blumbergs Jr.

The “Kalpotājs. Blumbergs. Kamēr…” exhibition was open to visitors at the Riga Art Space (Kungu Street 3) in the Main Hall from the 19th of May to the 10th of June, while the Intro Hall displayed an exhibition dedicated to Ilmārs Blumbergs’ collaboration with Youth Choir Kamēr…

Ilmārs Blumbergs (1943-2016) was a multi-faceted Latvian artist who worked in stage design, graphics and painting. In 1963 he graduated from the Riga Secondary School of Applied Arts, and in 1972 he graduated from the Department of Painting at the Art Academy of Latvia, specialising in set design. In 1995 he was awarded the Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, and in 2009 he received a Spēlmaņu Nakts Lifetime Achievement Award.

Concert exhibition was organised by: the Association of Culture Institutions of Riga City Council’s Riga Art Space exhibition hall and Concert Organisation AVE SOL in collaboration with Youth Choir Kamēr…. The project was supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation’s “Latvijai - 100” programme and co-financed by the Education, Culture and Sports Department of Riga City Council.

Audio recording from 24th May, 2018
Archive of Latvian Radio 3 "Klasika"