Tiia-Ester Loitme

b. December 19, 1933, Tallinn

Tiia-Ester Loitme is known as a longtime conducor of one of the most recognized girls’ choirs of Estonia – Ellerhein. She has been the chief conductor of children’s and female choirs at both All-Estonian and Youth Song Celebrations. She has gained a number of awards as choir conductor, including a Grammy Award in 2004 and a National Lifetime Achievement Award, she is also an honorary member of the Estonian Choral Association and a Honorary Citizen of the City of Tallinn.

Tiia-Ester Loitme began her music studies in music school, which was a part of the Tallinn State Conservatoire, studying piano with Erika Franz in 1944–1949. Her studies discontinued in 1949 as Loitme was deported with her family to Krasnoyarsk Krai, Sibiria. In 1956, Loitme returned to Estonia and continued studies in Tallinn Music School as a choral conductor under the guidance of Uno Üleoja. She graduated from the Tallinn Music School in 1960 and from the Tallinn State Conservatoire (later Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre) in 1965 as a choir conducting student of Prof. Gustav Ernesaks. Besides her studies, Loitme also worked at the conservatoire as an accompanist. In 1980, she supplemented studies with Vladislav Sokolov at the Moscow State Conservatoire.

In the field of choral singing and music education, Tiia-Ester Loitme is an internationally acknowledged master. She has worked long time as a music teacher and choir conductor in Tallinn English College (1965–1975 and 1987–2006). In 1975–1981, Loitme taught music education students at the Tallinn State Conservatoire. Together with Heino Kaljuste, Loitme has published several study books of music for the secondary-school level.

In 1970, alongside Heino Kaljuste, Loitme started working as conductor of the Ellerhein girls’ choir. From 1989–2012 she was the chief conductor of the choir. Under her guidance, the Ellerhein girls’ choir has won a number of international contests and competition.

Honours:
1995 Gustav Ernesaks Scholarship
1997 The Order of the White Star, Medal
1998 Order of Merit of the City of Tallinn
1999 Woman of the Year
2002 Teacher of the Year
2002 Good Teacher
2002 Honorary Citizen of the City of Tallinn
2003 Heino Kaljuste Scholarship
2003 Annual Prize of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
2004 Grammy Award
2005 The Order of the White Star, Class III
2008 Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
2009 Musician of the Year 2008
2011 National Lifetime Achievement Award


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