When the Latvian-born soloist Gidon Kremer took the stage with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, he almost had to perform without his multi-million dollar violin.

Fortunately, two Amtrak train employees found the instrument Kremer had forgotten and returned it in time for his two concerts with the Maryland-based orchestra, according to the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post newspapers.

Kremer, who told reporters he was preoccupied with how to replace a violinst in his Kremerata Baltica who had taken ill, forgot the USD 3 million Guarneri del Gesu violin Jan. 28 on a New York-to-Baltimore train.

The violin is 300 years old.

The two Amtrak employees who found the violin were Kremer’s guests during the Jan. 30 concert. The violinist dedicated his encore to them.

An exhibit showcasing the work of Latvian diplomats in exile has been opened in Rīga by Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete.

The exhibit is titled “Latvijas valstiskuma sardzē: Latvijas diplomātiskā un konsulārā dienesta darbinieki okupācijas gados trimdā no 1940. gada 17. jūnija līdz 1991. gada 21. augustam” (“Guarding Latvian Statehood: Latvia’s Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Exile During the Occupation, From 17 June 1941 to 21 August 1991”).

In arranging the exhibit, the Foreign Ministry made use of private archives as well as its own and those held by the Latvian State Historical Archive, according to a press release from the ministry.

The exhibit is on display from Jan. 28 in the Foreign Ministry.

“The period since the renewal of independence,” the press release noted, “has shown that the work of diplomatic and consular staff in exile was essential in determining the nation’s course and its current international legal status.”

French director Sylvain Chomet’s “The Triplets of Belleville,” one of three Academy Award nominees for best animated film, has a Latvian connection, Latvian state television reports.

The Latvian company Rija Films was one of four animation studios that worked on the movie, doing what is known as “tweening” between distinct images.

Formed in 1995, Rija Films has been involved in a number of well-known local projects, including the 1990 animation and CD-ROM “Velniņi” (Little Devils) and the 2001 animation “Vai Rīga jau gatava?” (The National Hero), according to the Web site of the National Film Centre. The studio is run by Vilnis Kalnaellis.

Rija Films was chosen for the work because of budgetary reasons, “Triplets” Art Director Evgeni Tomov said in an interview with AnimWatch, an online journal.

“The Triplets of Belleville” was released last year by Sony Pictures Classics. The 80-minute film is competing for the Oscar against “Brother Bear” and the Disney blockbuster “Finding Nemo”

The Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 27 in Los Angeles by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Winners of the Academy Awards will be revealed during a live televized ceremony Feb. 29.