As observed by the magazine “Kas Jauns”, the luxuriously dressed people, who rushed to the most important event of the year of classical music at the Opera in the snowfall, looked back when they saw that the famous composer Jānis Lūsēns and his spouse Evia Mundeciems were not going straight to the entrance, but passing by the Opera House.
The couple, seemingly unperturbed by the flakes falling on their faces, held hands, calmly walked forward along Siegfried Anna Meierovics boulevard in the direction of the “Laima” clock, then turned onto the path that leads past the greenery of the Opera Square and, chatting cordially, walked around the circle, watching, as lines of people enter the illuminated Opera House. Arriving on the other side at the entrance of the parade, Jānis kissed Evia, and her friend, who had obviously come to accompany her beloved man, and not to enjoy the “Great Music Award” concert with him, left down the street, and Lūsēns entered the Opera alone.
Jānis entered the opera alone. (Photo: from the archives of the Riga Vilnius publishing house)
Composer Jānis Lūsēns became close to Latvian National Opera Orchestra flautist Evija Mundeciemas less than nine years ago. As one of the most romantic “movements” of Jānis Lūsēns, Evija once revealed in an interview “Kas Jauns” that these were the lines with which he first addressed her on the social network “Facebook”: “If I were an architect, I would build such a beautiful place in Latvia, which would be called about Mundeciem, and only happy people would live there…”
In a sense, this dream, if you can call it that, has come true, because Jānis Lūsēns decided to leave Riga with Evia Mundeciems and has been living in Zvārtavas parish for three years, where they renovated the former Ozolu school and set up their creative music residency in the house surrounded by the fabulous natural scenery. Evija’s daughter from a previous relationship also lives with the musician couple, as well as Jānis Lūsēns’ mother Velta.
