Reinis Zariņš is a classical concert pianist who seeks, through music, to sound the mystery of Life.
"There are refractions of Life everywhere, we all participate in its mystery. But it’s not for sale, nor is it for keeps. I wish to know Life as intimately as a mortal can, and music is my map, my road sign for this mystery. In music, I find some of the deepest and most profound expressions of Life’s wonder."
Upcoming Concerts
Wed 10 June 20:00
Recital with Sergey Malov (violin, viola, violoncello da spalla)
Piano Salon Christophori, Berlin
"Zariņš’ embrace of the music’s monumentality and its intimacy was remarkable."
The Guardian
Latest Album
AREFA is Reinis’ bow of gratitude to Arvo Pärt who recently turned 90. Reinis writes:
Time with Arvo’s music has, mystically, made life more precious to me. In a sense, Arvo’s tintinnabuli music is (like) the music behind all musics, the fundament, the ancient standard that we know that we know that we know.
AREFA is not easily categorised — it contains Pärt’s earliest published opus (Partita) and one of his last (Passacaglia), it has solo piano works, but also chamber works, it has mostly Pärt’s music, but also two birthday gifts, two musical letters of admiration and love by Latvian composers Georgs Pelēcis and Andrejs Selickis.
For Reinis, the journey with this album has been personally important, because Arvo’s thoughts, expressed in music and otherwise, have taught Reinis a great deal about music and life in general. He outlines some of these gains in the album booklet.
The album trailer and album booklet both mention that Reinis has never met Arvo Pärt in person, although he still hopes it will happen one day.
That day came on 13 May 2026 when Reinis traveled to Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa together with the two composers, Georgs Pelēcis and Andrejs Selickis, who each had written a piano piece as a birthday present to Arvo. Their works are included in the album, the composers could present their scores to Arvo, and Reinis performed both works for Arvo and Nora Pärt and the whole Centre team. It was a happy day indeed!
Gallery photos by Jānis Porietis, Jānis Vecbrālis, Pauls Zvirbulis, Veronika Lokotko, Seoul Arts Center
A fragment from Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus
This two-hour long meditation on the birth of Christ is one of Reinis’ signature programmes.
Rzewski’s notorious Winnsboro cotton mill blues