From February 21 to 26, original cultural event Eesti Fest celebrating Estonian music and European Capital of Culture Tallinn 2011 will take place in London.
Besides the five various concerts, the program of Eesti Fest also includes discussion about Skype which was invented in Estonia and Estonian IT with Sten Tamkivi, the General Manager of Skype Estonia and one of the leading figures in IT, guitar workshop with Weekend Guitar Trio and Estonian folk music workshop with ensemble Suurõ pilvõ. All these events will be held at Kings Place which brings together under one roof a creative hub, a dining venue, a conference and events centre, and office complex.
Concerts of the festival will feature one of the Estonia’s most sought-after vocal group Vox Clamantis with their program Da pacem, The Estonian Piano Orchestra, staffed by eight pianists playing together, with Ain Varts (guitar), Hele-Riin Uib (percussion) and composer Urmas Sisask (shaman drum), folk group Suurõ pilvõ (Big Clouds), Weekend Guitar Trio which produces composed and improvised music for 3 electric guitars and electronics and finally Estonian jazz pianist Kristjan Randalu who divides his time between Estonia, Germany and New York. The programs of different concerts introduce music by Arvo Pärt, Peeter Vähi, Urmas Sisask, Ülo Krigul and many others.
Eesti Fest is organized by the Estonian Embassy in London and especially its active staff member, the Cultural Counsellor Reet Remmel. The curator of the Eesti Fest is Fiona Talkington, the UK radio broadcaster on BBC Radio 3.
The precise program is available from website of Kings Place or Estonian Embassy in London.