To mark the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia and to celebrate the longstanding relations between Wales and Estonia, festival Walestonia 2008 started at the end of May in Wales. A series of different subfestivals will take place around Wales till December, offering more than 30 choral, traditional and pop music concerts, performances, exhibitions, workshops, shows, poetry evenings and many other events. Besides the performers from Wales and elsewhere (London Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and many others), also a lot of guests from Estonia will participate (artists Tiiu Kirsipuu, Minna Hint, Marko Mäetamm and Neeme Külm, poets Jürgen Rooste and Kristiina Ehin, Estonian National Ballet, Estonian National Male Choir, Vox Clamantis and others).
On September 10, Gregorian chant ensemble Vox Clamantis Vox will perform together with the Catalan soprano Arianna Savall at the Vale of Glamorgan festival. The concert will take place in St Augustine’s Church, Penarth at 7.30 pm. The program includes silences / larmes and Arboles lloran por luvia by Helena Tulve and works by Tõnis Kaumann.
The highlights of Walestonia festival will take place within the framework of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts in October 2008. The Estonian National Ballet will stage a modern ballet Hamlet (music composed and performed by Taavi Kerikmäe, choreography by Oksana Titova) at the Swansea University Taliesin Arts Centre on October 9 at 7.30 pm. Estonian National Male Choir will have two concerts within the festival. On October 13 at 7.30, the choir with Ants Soots conducting will perform together with the Pontarddulais Male Choir at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. The program consists of Estonian and Welsh choral music highlights. Estonian National Male Choir will also participate in Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex performance together with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (conducted by Jac van Steen) in the Brangwyn Hall on October 15 at 7 pm.
From 8 to 13 September, the Conference of the International Association of Music Information Centres (IAMIC) will take place at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff within the festival. The annual IAMIC conference is the largest and most important of the IAMIC meetings. Also Estonian Music Information Centre, a member of the IAMIC since 1999, will participate.
Read more: www.walestonia.com
Agnes Toomla