On January 13, The Musician of the Year award was given to the choral conductor Aarne Saluveer. Musician of the Year is ascribed to the musician who has furthered Estonian musical culture and collaborated with the Estonian Public Broadcasting. Music editors of the Estonian Public Broadcasting chose Aarne Saluveer as the Musician of the Year for being the artistic director of Youth Song Celebration “World tree” and a long-time work as a conductor of Estonian Television Girls’ Choir. Ceremonial concert of the Musician of the Year took place in the 1st radio studio of Estonian Public Broadcasting on January 13. Musician of the Year title was announced for the 25th time this year, last year’s Musician of the Year was conductor Anu Tali.
Aarne Saluveer (b. 1959) has graduated from Tallinn Conservatoire in music pedagogy and choral conducting. Saluveer founded Estonian Television Children’s Music Studio and Estonian Television Girls’ Choir, with whom he has won several notable awards in Estonia and abroad. He has been the general conductor of toddlers' choirs and children's choirs at Estonian Song Celebrations and the artistic director of Youth Song Celebration “World tree” (2007). Aarne Saluveer is the head of Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, teacher of Tartu University Viljandi Culture Academy and chairman of the Estonian Choral Association. He has been ascribed the Annual Prize of Cultural Endowment of Estonia (1999 and 2006), Annual Prize of the Estonian National Committee for UNICEF (2002 and 2007), the Fifth Class Order of the White Star of the Republic of Estonia (2004) and the Scholarship of Heino Kaljuste Foundation (2007).