Estonian National Culture Foundation’s life-time work award with 50 000 Estonian crowns awarded this year historian Raimo Pullat, writer Mats Traat, and conductor and teacher Kuno Areng. The Georg Ots premium went to singer (baritone) Jassi Zahharov.
The chairman of the board of the Estonian National Culture Foundation is conductor Eri Klas, and this year, the awards and grants were given for the 20th time.
Kuno Areng (23.07.1929, Järvamaa) has been active as choir conductor in Estonian music life consistently for tens of years. He has conducted Estonian Academic Male Choir (1966–1990), the Tallinn Chamber Choir (1961–2000), he has been the head conducor of Academy of Sciences’ Male Choir since 1998, and has conducted other smaller choirs. He has earned many conductor prizes at international contests. Many times in more than 40 years, Kuno areng has been the general leader and conductor of Song Fests.
Since 1962, he has worked as teacher of choir conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Of his students, many acknowledged conductors have risen – Anne Dorbek, Toomas Kapten, Laine Jänes, Olari Elts, Lauri Sirp, Risto Joost, Peeter Perens jun., Triin Koch, Veronika Portsmuth.
Jassi Zahharov (29.05.1954, Tartu), has been a soloist at the Vanemuine Theatre in the years 1980-1997 and at the Estonia Theatre since 1997. In addition to his numerous roles in opera, he often appears as solist in performances of large-scale works as oratorios, but he also sings chamber music and takes part of various other music projects.
Jassi Zahharov has previously been recognized with Georg Ots Award (1994), the Suur Vanker Award (1996), he has earned the creativity grant of the year by Tartu Cultural Endowment (1996), and the Estonian Cultural Endowment Award (2001).
Malle Maltis