Veronika Portsmuth

b. 27.11.1980, Tallinn

Veronika Portsmuth has studied choir conducting at the Tallinn Music High School with Ivi Eespere (1995–1998) and at the Estonian Academy of Music (1998–2004), where she gained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in choir conducting with Kuno Areng. At the same time (1999–2002), Portsmuth also studied and graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, where she studied classical singing with Mare Jõgeva. In 2007, she continued studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Tõnu Kaljuste, gaining PhD in 2014. Additional studies comprised choir conducting in 2008–2009 at the Stockholm Royal College of Music with Anders Eby. She has attended orchestral conducting classes by Jüri Alperten, Cecilia Rydinger Alini and Michael Bartoch and participated in masterclasses by Eri Klas, Filippo Maria Bressani, Bo Johansson and Frieder Bernius. In addition to doctoral studies, Veronika Portsmuth also completed the Music Education Program in the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Airi Liimets.

Since 2010, Veronika Portsmuth works as a lecturer in the choral conducting department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT) and is a creative director and conductor of EAMT choirs in different projects. She has also been a teacher in the conducting department of the Tallinn Music High School (2005–2007).

Veronika Portsmuth has been involved in numerous Estonian choirs: she has been the principal conductor of mixed choir Helitron (1998–2005), choirmaster of Chamber Choir of Tallinn University of Technology (2000–2002), conductor of Tallinn Chamber Choir (2002–2004), guest conductor of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2004–2006), chief conductor of the Estonian Academy of Science Female Choir (2005), conductor of the Nargen Opera Chorus and the Estonian Concert Choir. Currently, she is conducting the Estonian Defence Forces Mixed Choir (since 2004), chamber female choir Miina (since 2008), female choir Vero Vocale, the Mixed Choir of Estonian Bar Association and the Veronika Portsmuth Choral Academy (former European Capital of Culture mixed choir, since 2009). She has also cooperated with numerous other music collectives such as Vox Clamantis, Heinavanker, Voces Piccolo, Voces Musicales, Camerata Vocale.

Veronika Portsmuth is keen on promoting contemporary Scandinavian culture and music in Estonia, which is why she started the Cooperation Project of Scandinavian Cultural Figures in 2008 and organised Concert Series of Scandinavian Music (2003–2012). She has brought on stage the first opera of Faroe Islands – The Madman's Garden by Sunleif Rasmussen (2006) in 2008 and Helena Tulve’s chamber opera It Is Getting So Dark in 2014, which was nominated for Musical Production Award at Estonian Theatre Awards the same year. She has performed at numerous conferences and trainings (including some abroad) to introduce Estonian choral music and music field in general to wider audiences. She created a unique choral-karaoke program Singing Saturdays for Estonian Pavilion at Shanghai EXPO in 2010, which enabled the visitors to participate as one of the singers in a virtual choir.

She has conducted at the XX Estonian Youth Song Celebration Ilmapuu (2007), the XXV Song Celebration Üheshingamine in 2009, and was the artistic director of the Estonian XI Youth Song Celebration Maa ja ilm (2011). In addition to national song celebrations, Veronika Portsmuth has conducted choirs at song festivals that celebrate different music styles, such as Estonian Punk Song Festival and  Tartu Pop Choir Festival.

As a singer, Veronika Portsmuth has been a member of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (2002–2004) and as a soloist, she has participated in numerous concerts and performances. She has released two solo albums: Kõikide järvede kuu (2011), presenting Lembit Veevo’s choir songs in jazz arrangement for a soloist and ensemble and Faroese Songbook (2016), presenting her own music written in Faroe islands in 2007.

Veronika Portsmuth is the Board Chairman of the Estonian Mixed Choirs’ Association since 2013 (member of the board since 2007) and has been chairman of the Estonian Choral Association (2012–2013).

Veronika Portsmuth was awarded the Foreign Ministry Cultural Stipend (2012), the annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia for song celebration Maa ja ilm and the grant of the Estonian National Culture Foundation for the biggest contribution to Estonian music (2011).

© EMIC 2013
(updated September 2017)

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