Risto Joost

June 22, 1980 Tallinn

Risto Joost is an outstanding conductor both in opera and concert stages in Estonia and abroad.

Risto Joost began his studies of choral conducting at the Tallinn Music High School with Anneli Mäeots (1986-1998) and continued in 1998–2002 at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Prof Kuno Areng (choral conducting) and with Prof Jüri Alperten and Prof Paul Mägi (orchestral conducting), he also studied singing with Uku Joller and docent Nadja Kurem.

He received further training at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna in Erwin Ortner and Leopold Hager’s class. In spring 2008, Risto Joost graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm majoring in orchestral conducting with Prof Jorma Panula. He has also participated in the conducting master classes of Andres Eby, Eri Klas, Neeme Järvi and Esa-Pekka Salonen and in early music and singing master classes with Paul Hillier, Nigel North, Carl Høgset and Catherine Sadolin. Risto Joost has won several conducting competitions in Budapest (2001) and Tallinn (2002, 2004).

Since 2000 Risto Joost has regularly participated in the Estonian Music Days Festival and NYYD Festival. He has conducted more than 50 premieres by Estonian composers like Toivo Tulev, Timo Steiner, Ülo Krigul, Helena Tulve, and others. He has conducted the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Corelli Baroque Orchestra, Tallinn Youth Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, Haapsalu City Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra as well as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Male Choir, Mixed chorus Latvia, Swedish Radio Choir and Ars Nova Copenhagen.

From spring 2016 Joost is artistic director of Tallinn Philharmonic Society and Birgitta Festival, from 2015/16 artistic director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir and from 2013 chief conductor of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. In 2011–2015, Joost was chief conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir. In 2007, he made his debut in the Estonian National Opera conducting Erkki-Sven Tüür's opera Wallenberg and since 2009 he is the conductor in residence of the Estonian National Opera. In 2006-2011 Risto Joost was the principal conductor of the Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra.

In 1999 he founded chamber choir Voces Musicales and in 2002 instrumental Ensemble Voces Musicales which is focused on performing baroque and contemporary music. The choir has made outstanding performances in many competitions in Estonia. Voces Musicales has participated in premieres of works by several contemporary Estonian composers (Timo Steiner, Ülo Krigul, Toivo Tulev, Helena Tulve, and others) at the Autumn Festival of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as well as at the Estonian Music Days Festival. In November 2008 Risto Joost constituted Tallinn Sinfonietta Orchestra which is focused on performing music from the 18th and 19th century.

As a singer, Risto Joost has been a member of Gregorian ensemble Vox Clamantis and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Since December 2003 he has been a member of the vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices (artistic director Paul Hillier). As a soloist, his repertoire consists of music from Baroque to contemporary music. He has worked with different orchestras like Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Scotland Chamber Orchestra and ensembles like Meder Consort, Corelli Consort, Reval Ensemble, Hortus Musicus, Sansara (Latvia) and Phantasm (England). He has performed in MA Early Music Festival in Brügge (Belgium), Steve Reich Festival in London, Edinburgh’s Festival in Scotland, Vantaa Early Music Festival (Finland), Stockholm Early Music Festival (Sweden), Riga Early Music Festival (Latvia), Haapsalu Early Music Festival, Estonian Music Days Festival and Festival NYYD (Estonia). He has also performed in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria, England, Scotland, France, Israel and the United States of America. In 2007 Risto Joost performed the main role in Antonio Vivaldi’s opera Il Giustino with baroque ensemble Sansara in Latvia and his latest performance was in Sunleif Rasmussen’s opera The Madman’s Garden in Tallinn September 2008.

Risto Joost has received a Gustav Ernesaks scholarship for developing choral activities in Estonia (2000, 2003), Honorable Title of Young Conductor 2004 by the Estonian Choral Society, the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2007, 2016), Young Cultural Figure Award of the Cultural Foundation of the President (2011), Honorable Title the Musician of the Year 2018 by the Estonian Public Broadcasting and the main scholarship of the Gustav Ernesaks Foundation (2021).

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