25th Song and 18th Dance Celebration „To Breath as One“, July 2 to 5

The introducing concert of the Song and Dance Celebration will take place On July 1 at 7 pm at Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn. Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Estonian National Male Choir under the guidance of Maestro Neeme Järvi will perform Villem Kapp’s North Coast, Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D major and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major.

Song and Dance Celebration will be opened at Tallinn Town Hall Square with grand folk music concert. Various instrumental ensembles can also be heard on July 3 at several concert venues in Tallinn. Two Song Celebration concerts with different programs will take place on July 4 and 5. The program of the first day includes the Estonian and Western vocal-symphonic repertoire. Estonian professional choirs and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will be participate. The second day concert is more traditional where only pieces by Estonian composers will be performed. The artistic director of the Song Celebration is Ants Soots. Three Dance Celebration performances will take place on July 4 and 5. Traditional Festive Parade of Song and Dance Celebration will start on July 4 from Liberty Square.

Nargen Festival, May 31 to August 22

Already the hole month lasted Nargen Festival offers more several interesting concerts in Tallinn St. John’s Church, Laulasmaa, Kadriorg Park, Naissaar, Viinistu Art Museum, Tallinn Methodist Church, Pärnu Concert Hall and elsewhere. Besides Estonian performers, also guest from abroad will participate. Music by Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits (including world premiere La Folia for oboe and chamber orchestra), Jean Sibelius, Dmitri Shostakovich, Zoltán Kodály, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Lera Auerbachilt will be performed by Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, mixed choir Latvia (Latvia), Pascal Schumacher Quartet (Luxembourg), Nargen Festival Orchestra, German Youth Symphony Orchestra (Germany), Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir et al, several soloists, such as Andres Kaljuste, Villu Vihermäe, Kalev Kuljus, Harry Traksmann, Leho Karin, Martin Kuuskmann, Annely Peebo et al, conductors Tõnu Kaljuste and Risto Joost.

Besides the concerts, the festival program also offers Toomas Hussar’s play „Kon-Tiki“ at Käsmu Sea Museum and Jaan Tätte’s play „Lantern“ at Naissaar.

Nargen Festival has been held since 2006, the artisitc director is Tõnu Kaljuste. 

Opera in Town Hall, May 31–August 28

The annual concert series Opera in Town Hall began with the opening concert on May 31 at Tallinn Town Hall. Next four concerts will take place in July and one in August. The list of performers include sopranos Maria Veretenina, Kersti Ala-Murr, Kädy Plaas, Iva Ionova, mezzo sopranos Helen Lokuta, Teele Jõks, tenors Oliver Kuusik, Yie Yin, instrumentalists Maria Bachmann, Piia Paemurru, Jaak Lutsoja, Elar Kuiv, Egmont Välja, Reinut Tepp et al. The goal of the concert series is to give the listeners a chance to enjoy beautiful vocal music performed by musicians from Estonia and abroad. Tarmo Eespere, the concert master of the Estonian National Opera, is the initiator of this concert series.

Chamber Music in Forgotten Manors, June 27–August 8

The Society of Music Friends in cooperation with the Project of Forgotten Manors organizes 13 concerts in different Estonian manors where well-known interpreters (flute player Oksana Sinkova, violinist Kristiina Kriit, pianists Diana Liiv and Naily Saripova etc.) will perform beautiful chamber music.

Viljandi Early Music Festival, July 7 to 12

Viljandi Early Music Festival takes place for the 24th time in a South Estonia’s oldest town Viljandi. Concerts will be held in Viljandi churches, theatre Ugala, Traditional Music Centre and elsewhere. Festival offers several intresting programs – songs from the repertoire of the very first Estonian Song Celebretion (1896), „Vivaldi, Casanova and Venice“, „Sefard Jewish Melodys“, Georg Friedrich Händel’s opera „Acis and Galatea“ and many more. Music will be performed by Vox Clamantis, Corelli Consort, Sofia Rubina, Kadri Hunt, chamber male choir Revalia conducted by Hirvo Surva, young Estonian early musicians, Neeme Punder, guests Egidius Kwartet (the Netherlands) and Ensemble Tormis (France).

The artistic director is Neeme Punder.

Haapsalu Early Music Festival, July 8 to 12

The 16th Haapsalu Early Music Festival offers five concerts at Haapsalu Dome Church. The festival program consists music for the Emperor Charles V, English Renaissance polyphony and Estonian folk hymns, works by Heinrich Schütz, Giacomo Carissimi, Georg Friedrich Händel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Domenico Scarlatti and others. Festival presents noted performers both from Estonia and abroad: ensemble Studio Vocale, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra with the Festival Choir and soloists (Simon Wall (England), Kädy Plaas, Teele Jõks, Risto Joost, Uku Joller, Pirjo Püvi), ensembles Heinavanker and Egidius Kwartet (the Netherlands) and organist Markku Mäkinen (Finland).

The artisitc director of the festival is Toomas Siitan.

Pärnu Opera Days, July 10–11

The main guest of VII Pärnu Opera Days is Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre with the conductor Martynas Staškus. They perform opera „Aida“ by Giuseppe Verdi and give an Opera Gala Concert in Pärnu Concert Hall.

XI Hiiumaa Camber Music Days, July 10–12

Concerts of Hiiumaa Chamber Music Days will take place in churches of Pühalepa and Reigi, in Suuremõisa Castle, in Kärdla and Sõru Boathouse. Selected chamber works will be peformed by a piano quartet with Helen Västrik, Kristiina Olev, Ardo Västrik and Kadri-Ann Sumera, harpsichord duo Ene Nael - Kristiina Are with actor and quitarist Tarmo Song, as well as by Tiit Kalluste, Mati Lukk, Aet Ratassepp, Mart Ernesaks and others.
The Festival is organised by the Hiiumaa Chamber Music Association, artistic director is pianist Mart Ernesaks. The first Hiiumaa chamber music festival was held in 1999.

Festival "Music of Seven Towns", July 10–18

Ida-Virumaa County’s summer festival takes place for the 11th time this year and offers 12 concerts throughout 9 days. The program includes classical music, as well as early music and jazz. Concerts will take place in concert halls, churches, manors and open space stages. The list of performers includes Kristjan Randalu, Kaia Urb, Imbi Tarum, Harry Traksmann, Maarja-Liis Ilus, Kärt Tomingas, the trio of Helin-Mari Arder, the quintet of Urmas Lattikas, Estonian Philhramonic Chamber Choir (conductor Daniel Reuss), Corelli Baroque Orchestra etc. The Artistic Director of the festival is Svea Ideon-Marks.

During the eight days of the festival, a large number of musicians from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Slovakia, Japan and Australia will perform in Pärnu St. Elizabeth Church and in the Pärnu Concert House. The program consists of music from Baroque to Romanticism, also folk music from the Baltic region and Gypsy music is included, as well as works of Estonian contemporary composers.
The main organizers of the festival are the city of Pärnu and the Ministry of Culture of Estonian Republic, the artistic director is cellist Allar Kaasik.

XVII Rapla Church Music Festival, July 18th – August 7th 

The opening concert of the festival will be held on July 18 in Rapla Mary Magdalene Church, performers are the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Other performers of the festival are mixed choir Palestrina from Italy, organist Katrin Merilo, cello quartet C-Jam, Eda Peäske (harp) and Raivo Peäske (flute) and Reval Brass. In the final concert on August 7 in Rapla Church of Mary Magdalene, mixed choirs Cantus and Noorus, as well as Baroque orchestra Corelli Consort will perform.
Rapla Church festival has been held for 17 years and the event, which began in Rapla Mary Magdalene Church, has now expanded also to neighboring counties of Rapla. From this year, the main organizer of the festival is Jakob Kukk.

Saaremaa Opera Days, July 19–26

Saaremaa Opera Days in Kuressaare presents this year operas “The Flying Dutchman“ by Richard Wagner and “Turandot“ by Giacomo Puccini with Latvian National Opera (conductor Modestas Pitrénas), Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” is performed by Vanemuine Theatre (conductor Mihkel Kütson) and Iikka Kuusisto’s mono-opera “Prisoner of Freedom”.
Besides the opera performances the festival also offers gala concert with soloist Kristine Gailite, Kristine Zadovska (Latvia), Monika-Evelin Liiv (Estonia), Matti Salminen (Finland), Mario Zeffiri (Greece), Carlos Moreno (Spain), Egils Silinš (Latvia), Rauno Elp, Priit Volmer and Oliver Kuusik (Estonia) with conductors Eri Klasi and Gintaras Rinkevičius and Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem” by Latvian National Opera Orchestra and Choir, soloists Heli Veskus, Nadia Krasteva, Carlos Moreno and Egils Silinš, conducted by Neeme Järvi.
Performers include also Jorma Hynninen, Estonian National Opera Boy’s Choir (conductor Hirvo Surva), Angelika Mikk, Oliver Kuusik, Ilona Bagele, Kristina Gailite, Krišjanis Norvelis and others.

Haapsalu String Festival, July 22–26

The XVI International Haapsalu String Festival presents Läänemaa Oratorio Choir and festivals orchestra with conductor Lehari Kaustel, Rentatie-quartet, Elokuu-Ensemble and a gala concert with festival orchestra, conductor Mikk Murdvee and soloists Liis Joamets and Mari Targo.