"Living Music" Folk Festival (Kokle Playing)Tautas mūzikas festivāls “Dzīvā mūzīka” – kokles spēle

A folkloric music festival themed on the kokle, held in 2018 across Limbaži and Rīga. Organized by the Latvian National Cultural Center, it featured concerts and workshops exploring the kokle’s role in tradition. Key events included a concert "Koklēdamiš, spēlēdamiš" in Limbaži and ethnomusicology lectures in Rīga 1. Performers came from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia, showcasing ensemble kokle music from traditional styles to contemporary compositions.

The festival was part of a “tradition inheritance” project highlighting Latvian folk instruments. It coincided with Latvia’s centennial in 2018, recognizing the kokle as a national symbol. The program examined the evolution from the ancient folk kokle to the modern concert kokle, and taught cross-Baltic traditions. Kokle music was paired with dance and other Baltic folk instruments to emphasize regional cultural continuity 1.