The State Concert Institute Eesti Kontsert, the largest concert organisation of Estonia, begins its season on September 13. At the opening in Estonia Concert Hall, Bochum Symphony Orchestra (Germany) and Estonian National Male Choir conducted by Steve Sloane (USA) and the soloists Gal James (soprano, Israel) and Alexander Anisimov (bass, Russia) perform the Symphony No. 1 of Leonard Bernstein and Symphony No. 13 of Dmitri Shostakovich.
On September 14, 15 and 16, the opening concerts will be held also in Vanemuine Concert Hall in Tartu and in Jõhvi and Pärnu concert houses.
In the new season, Eesti Kontsert produces a hundreds of concerts and presents a number of famous guest interpreters, such as the Tokyo String Quartet, Grieg Trio, Roland Zollmann, Cyprien Katsaris, Mauricio Kagel, Freddy Cole Quartet, Swingle Singers, King´s Singers ao.
From October 20 to 27 the 5th International Pianists Festival “Klaver 2006” will take place. The festival programme includes also new Estonian music: piano work by Tõnu Kõrvits performed by Estonian pianist Marko Martin and the work for four pianos and mixed choir by Jüri Reinvere from Estonian pianists Taavi Kerikmäe, Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, Sten Lassmann, Kai Ratassepp and mixed chorus „Latvija” (Latvia).
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra begins its new season on September 8 in Estonia Concert Hall in Tallinn under the direction of Nikolai Alexeev. Aside from the Piano Concerto No. 1 of Sergei Rachmaninov with Spain pianist Eldar Nebolsin and the Symphony No. 6 of Dmitri Shostakovich, the programme includes the symphonic poem „Down” by Estonian composer Heino Eller.
Besides the chief conductor Nikolai Alexeev, Estonian conductors Paavo Järvi, Olari Elts, Paul Mägi and Kaisa Roose as well as guest conductors Eivind Gullberg Jensen (Norway), Ronald Zollman (Belgium) and Johannes Goritzki (Germany) will stand in front of the ENSO in the first half of the season. Mainly composed of the Western and Russian classics, the repertoire of the ENSO also includes the performances of Estonian works – the Display No. 8, “The Portrait of Schubert” (1995) by Raimo Kangro on October 13 and the Symphony No. 1 (1981) by Lepo Sumera on November 24.
On December 20, ENSO celebrates its 80th birthday with the jubilee concert with music by Johannes Brahms. The conductor is Paavo Järvi, artistic adviser of the orchestra since 2002. On December 18, 1926, Tallinn Radio broadcasted the first concert of a trio, the predecessor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, led by Hugo Schütz – this date can be considered to be the birthday of ENSO. Since 1975 the orchestra was renamed the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The principal conductors of ERSO have been Olav Roots, Roman Matsov, Neeme Järvi, Peeter Lilje, Leo Krämer and Arvo Volmer. Since the autumn of 2001 the principal conductor and artistic director of the orchestra has been Nikolai Alexeev from St. Petersburg.
The opening concert of the Tallinn Philharmonic Society on September 14 in Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn, is dedicated to 100th birth anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich. Concert programme includes his Cello Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No 6. Tallinn Chamber Orchestra is conducted by Eri Klas, soloists are Pille Lill (soprano), Leonid Savitsky (bass) and Silver Ainomäe (cello).
On September 12, the Tallinn Philharmonic Society presents a programme of Estonian contemporary music by Erkki-Sven Tüür, Märt-Matis Lill, Tõnis Kaumann, Malle Maltis and Lepo Sumera in Tallinn Methodist Church where Tallinn Chamber Orchestra is conducted by Risto Joost. On November 2, at the All Souls Day concert in the Tallinn Dome Church, the new version of the orchestral work “Für Lennart in Memoriam” by Arvo Pärt dedicated to the Estonia’s former President Lennart Meri will get the premiere from Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andres Mustonen.
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir begins the season on September 10 and 11 in Poland, the second concert programme being composed of the music by Arvo Pärt. On October 30 and 31, Arvo Pärt’s “Kanon Pokajanen” will get the performance in Tallinn St. Nicholas’ Church. On November 11, Toivo Tulev’s author recital will take place in St. Nicholas’ Church, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra being conducted by Paul Hillier and soloists Kädy Plaas (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor) and Mati Turi (tenor) participating.