Andres Uibo

b. April 16, 1956 Kivi-Vigala
Member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians since 2000
Member of the Estonian Composers Union since 2006

Andres Uibo is the most outstanding Estonian organist. Besides being a highly valued teacher he is also known as an ensemble partner, composer and producer. Uibo has undertaken the great task of introducing Estonian music in other countries.

Uibo started studying music with his father and continued his studies in Pärnu Music School with Vivian Taks. In 1971-1972, he studied at Tallinn Music High School with Ada Kuuseoks. He graduated as a pianist from Tallinn Music School with Leelo Kõlar and Ülev Saare in 1976 and from Tallinn State Conservatory as a music teacher, conductor and organist (the latter with Hugo Lepnurm) in 1981.
In 1988-1991, Uibo participated in the master courses of Hans Haselböck, José Luis Gonzales Uriol and Luigi Celeghini and studied with Leo Krämer in Germany and Ton Koopman in Finland. In 1992-1994, he improved his skills at the Lübeck Academy of Music with Hans Gebhard, having received a scholarship from the City of Lübeck.
Uibo participated in the International Competition of Organists in Speyer (1987) and in the International Ferenz Liszt Competition in Budapest.

After graduating from Tallinn State Conservatory in 1981, he started the job as the concert-organist of the St. Nicholas Church in Tallinn. The concert series he has organized there and personally participated in have gained public interest and popularity. In 1987, he initiated the annual Tallinn Organ Festival which has by now become one of the largest organ festivals in the world. Being the artistic director of the festival, Uibo has commissioned new works from several Estonian composers for the festival's program.
Uibo is highly appreciated as a teacher. Since 1994, he has worked at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (professor since 2005). His best known students are Aare-Paul Lattik, Ulla Krigul, Pille Metsson, Jaanus Torrim, Rein Kalmus and others. Since 1996, he is the manager and producer of the State Concert Institute Eesti Kontsert. Since 1998, Uibo has been the artistic director of the Suure-Jaani Music Days that are dedicated to the composers’ family of the Kapps.
In 2001-2004, Uibo was the chairman of the International Artur Kapp Society, since 1996, board member of the Estonian Music Council and since 1999, the vice-chairman of Estonian Organ Society. He has also been a jury member at several national and international competitions.

Since 1980, Uibo has been giving more than 1,000 recitals in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, in almost all organ music centers of the former Soviet Union, as well as in Austria, Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, France and Switzerland. Uibo has been an active performer of Estonian organ music by Peeter Süda, Rudolf Tobias, Edgar Arro and Erkki-Sven Tüür, in many cases the first performer and introducer of the works by the composers mentioned above. His most frequent ensemble partner has been trumpet player Jüri Leiten. There are works of music that have been written especially for this duo and for Uibo himself.
Andres Uibo has made 33 recording, including 12 solo-CDs. He has also made records with Jüri Leiten (1994; 2003; 2007), Heiki Mätlik (2005; 2007) and Ain Varts (1999; 2003).

As a composer Uibo has written pieces for different ensembles, for choirs and for organ. His organ piece „Then I saw...“ won the first price and was voted as the best work by the audience in the contest of new compositions in Tallinn (2003). His works have been performed in Europe, in U.S., in Asia and in Russia. Andres Uibo has proofread and edited all works for organ by Artur Kapp, later published by the publishing house Eres. Uibo is also the author of the book „Historical Organs in Estonia“ (Eres, 1994), which has earned a lot of acclaim.

Andres Uibo has been awarded the annual award of the Estonian National Culture Foundation (1990), the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (1995, 1999), the Medal of the White Star (2001), the prize of Estonian Music Council (2006) and in 2010, received the title of Honorary Citizen of Suure-Jaani Parish.

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