Ene Salumäe

b. May 18, 1967, Kuressaare

Ene Salumäe is Estonian renowned organist who performs regularly both in Estonia and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician. She cooperates with several early music ensembles, choirs, soloists and orchestras. Performances have taken her to Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan and Russia.

Ene Salumäe began organ studies in Kuressaare under the guidance of her father Ivar-Jaak Salumäe. Additionally, she studied violin with Laine Kaljo-Sepp at Kuressaare Music School and later with Olev Salu at Viljandi Music School and piano with Aili Laasalu-Lee at Viljandi Music School. She also studied composition with Kalle Tamra, choir conducting with Maie Tamra and early music with Tõnu Sepp, organ with Hugo Lepnurm and harpsichord with Imbi Tarum. In 1990 Ene Salumäe graduated from Tallinn State Conservatoire in conducting under the guidance of Ants Üleoja and facultative studies in organ with Hugo Lepnurm. In 1990–1995 she continued her studies at Sibelius Academy, from where she obtained a Master’s degree in church music and organ with Olli Porthani, harpsichord with Anssi Mattila and organ improvisation with Kaj-Erik Gustafsson. She has participated in several international master courses.

Ene Salumäe has worked as a church musician, organist and choral conductor in many congregations in Estonia and Finland (e.g. Tallinn Dome Church and Dome Church in Helsinki). She has been the musical director and organist of several state and international church services; initiator, organiser and artistic director of different church music undertakings and concert series and has founded choirs and ensembles (including chamber choir Missa Nova, ensemble Arrotajad and MederConsort).

She has taught organ and church music at Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, Institute of Theology of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and has developed and renewed church music curriculums and organised continuing training. Currently, she teaches organ at Tallinn Music School of Old Town Educational College and Tallinn Music School.

Ene Salumäe has made recordings for Estonian Public Broadcasting and Finnish Yleisradio and released collaborative CD-s with different choirs, soloists and orchestras. She was the editor of Estonian composers Roman Toi’s and Hugo Lepnurm’s organ works collections and CD’s. She has arranged and edited Veljo Tormis’s choral work „13 Estonian Lyric Folk Songs“ for organ (titled as „13 Sights Towards Organ“). Currently, she examines the manuscripts of Estonian-born Canadian composer Lembit Avesson.

Ene Salumäe is a member of Organum Seura (1990) and the International Society of Hymnology (IAH, 2001) and founder member of Estonian Harpsichord Society (2000), Estonian Society of Hymnology (2001) and Estonian Organ Society (1999).

Ene Salumäe has been awarded Hugo Lepnurm scholarship for developing church music education and organ music (2005), 3rd Class Order of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church for longterm activity as a versatile church musician and the cantor of restored Dome School in Tallinn (2012), Cooperation Prize of the Estonian Choral Association (2016) and Aino Kallas Prize of the Finnish Viro-Säätiö/Estonian Fund for her contribution to Finnish-Estonian cultural relationships (2019).

© EMIC 2013
(updated November 2019)

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).