Kai Kallastu

b. August 10, 1970, Märjamaa

Kai Kallastu is an active singer and vocal pedagogue. For Estonian audience Kai Kallatu is foremost known from the Pärnu Opera, where she is a member of Repoo Ensemble. Large part of her repertoire comprises contemporary and experimental vocal works.

Kai Kallastu has graduated from Pärnu Sütevaka High School, where she studied singing under the guidance of Malle Raid. In 1999–2004, Kai Kallastu continued studies of classical singing and vocal pedagogy with Matti Pelo and Johanna Bister at the Helsinki Vocational College STADIA (Metropolia). In 2004–2005, she improved her skills under the guidance of renowned Austrian vocal pedagogue Irina Gavrilovic. In 2009–2010, Kallastu obtained a master’s degree at the University of Metropolia in Helsinki, Finland, having studied classical singing and vocal pedagogy. She has also participated at master courses of professor Teresa Zhylis-Gara, Eva Blahova and Nelli Manuilenko.

Kai Kallastu has worked as a vocal pedagogue at the Institute of Adult Education in Helsinki and at the Pärnu Opera Studio. She is an active singer, who often participates at theatre and contemporary music projects. As a performer of opera and large-scale forms, she has given recitals in Estonia, Latvia, Germany and Finland. Kai Kallastu is also an actor of musical theatre and as a chamber singer, she participates in several ensembles: since 2007, she is a member of Repoo Ensemble and has cooperated as a soloist with Reval ensemble, Pärnu Opera Orchesta, Pärnu City Orchestra and several project ensembles. Kai Kallastu's repertoire comprises music from renaissance to contemporary music, including works by R. Strauss, G. Rossini, R. Schumann, P. Hindemith, A. Schoenberg, O. Messiaen etc. She has been the first performer of several experimental vocal works. Kai Kallastu has had a very intensive and creative cooperation with her husband, composer and conductor Andrus Kallastu, with whom she has performed tens of programmes of vocal music.

Kai Kallastu has been a grantee of the Estonian Cultural Endowment in 2007–2013 and the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Look also: www.kallastu.ee


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