Mari Poll

b. November 16, 1987
Member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians

Mari Poll was born in Tallinn in 1987. She began violin studies at the Tallinn Music High School, where she studied with Tiiu Päeske and Ivika Tivik until 2004. She continued studies in the UK at the Chetham's School of Music and Royal College of Music in London with Prof. Jan Repko, from where she obtained a bachelor's degree in 2010. In 2012, Poll obtained master's degree and in 2013 Artist Diploma with Junior Fellow title under the guidance of Prof. Radu Blidar. She has participated at several master courses including the New Virtuosi Mastercourse and Lausanne Duo Masterclass with distinguished professors as Pierre Amoyal, Petru Munteanu, Gordon Back, Pamela Frank, Edward Grach, Dong-Suk Kang, Bruno Canino, and Mikhail Kopelman.

Mari Poll is currently first concertmaster of the Estonian National Opera Orchestra and teaches at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. From 2015 to 2019 she was the second concertmaster of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and she has been invited to lead and co-lead orchestras such as the Stockholm Philharmonic, Bodo Sinfonietta, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra as well as Norrbotten NEO contemporary music ensemble.

Mari Poll has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe and America at several venues as the Estonia Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St Martin in the Fields, St James's Piccadilly, Porto Casa Da Musica, Malaga Sala Cristina Maria, Athens Parnassos Hall, and the Bridgewater Hall. She has cooperated with orchestras such as the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Liverpool Mozart Orchestra, and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and has participated at festivals such as Bowdoin International Summer Music Festival, Courchevel Music Festival, New Virtuosi Mastercourse, Lausanne Duo Masterclass, Ultima Contemporary Music Festival etc. Mari Poll performs regularly with her brother, pianist Mihkel Poll in a duo as well as in trio together with cellist Henry-David Varema. She also performs with pianist Jennifer Hughes and accordionist Momir Novaković.

Mari Poll has participated at numerous international competitions, and has won the 3rd Prize and special Robert Casadesus Award in Vibrarte International Violin Competition in France, four Special Prizes at Heino Eller International Violin Competition in Estonia, Special Prize in L. Spohr International Violin Competition in Germany, the 5th Prize in Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition and the 1st Prize in Derek Butler London Prize. She is also the winner of the RCM Concerto Competition. She is a recipient of several scholarships and awards, including the MBF Postgraduate Performance Award, Stephen Bell Charitable Trust Award, Martyn Musical Scholarship Award, and ESFUSA Award. In May 2012, the Royal College of Music awarded Mari Poll the Tagore Gold Medal – the prize that is given every year to the two most outstanding students. In September 2013, she was given City Music Foundation Award (London), which is given to young professional musicians for the career development.

In 2012, Mari Poll made her recording debut with EMI Classics in the EMI Digital Debut series. In 2017, Polish label DUX released a CD "Ensecu. Poulenc. Schönberg. Tüür" with Mari Poll and his borther pianist Mihkel Poll.

Mari Poll currently plays a 1723 Nicolaus Gagliano violin, kindly loaned to her by Aare Kaarma and the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments.



© EMIC 2013
(updated in December 2020)

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