Toomas Kapten

b. June 4, 1957, Tallinn

Toomas Kapten is renowned conductor and professor at the Estonian Academy of Music ad Theatre.

Toomas Kapten graduated from Tallinn Music High School in 1976, where he studied conducting with Reet Ratassepp and composition under the guidance of René Eespere. In 1976–1981, Kapten studied conducting at the Tallinn State Conservatoire with Kuno Areng and orchestral conducting with Roman Matsov. In 1981–1983, Kapten continued studies at Rimsky-Korsakov St Petersburg State Conservatory, studying 1981–1983 opera and orchestral conducting with Professor Alexander Dmitrijev, and in 1985 choral conducting with Jelizaveta Kudrjavtseva.

In 1983–1987, Toomas Kapten worked as a conductor at theatre Vanemuine (in 1985–1987 principal conductor). Since 1986 Kapen is professor at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (since 1996 docent and since 2004 professor). His students include Lilyan Kaiv, Anu Tali, Hendrik Vestmann, Mihhail Gerts and others. Since 1988, Kapten has led conducting master courses at several universities including Stockholm, Gothenburg, Strasbourg, Bremen, Prague, Hannover.

In 1987–1995, Kapten conducted the Mixed Choir of Estonian Television and Radio (1990–1995 principal conductor). In 1978–1983 and 1987–1989 he was the conductor of Tallinn Chamber Choir. In 1988–1995, he conducted Tallinn Youth Sinfonietta, winning twice the European Youth Orchestras Competition (Neerpelt, Belgium). With Tallinn Youth Sinfonietta Kapten has performed more than 100 new works by Estonian composers, including music by E.-S. Tüür, A. Pärt, J. Rääts, V. Tormis, U. Sisask, R. Kangro, L. Sumera and others. Toomas Kapten is founder of the Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra and was conductor of it in 1987–2006. Since 1991, Kapten is an artistic director of oratorio projects in South Karelia (Finland), artistic director and principal conductor of chamber choir Cantus Saimaa and the South Karelian Classical Choir. Since 1996, Kapten is the principal guest conductor of Bergslagens Kammarsymfoniker and the Orkestern Filialen Stockholm. He has also cooperated with Chinese National Symphony Orchestra and Plzeň Radio Philharmonics and has conducted all symphony orchestras in Estonia. Kapten has recorded 22 CD-s of symphonic music and conducted over 300 first performances. In 1993, Kapten received the annual prize of Estonian Composers Union. Since 1987, Toomas Kapten is member of the Estonian Theatre Union.

With a wide repertoire ranging from the Baroque to the most contemporary composers, Toomas Kaptens' particular areas of speciality are 19th and 20th century Russian orchestral works and the music of Estonian contemporary composers.

Toomas Kapten has received the Estonian Theatre award in category of the Best Opera Production in the following years:
1984 The Victim, opera by Raimo Kangro
1985 Les Fourberies de Scapin, opera by Yurii Falik
1986 The Consul, opera by Gian Carlo Menotti
1987 Der Mond, opera by Carl Orff

http://www.toomaskapten.eu/

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