Music News

Ester Mägi 100

January 10 is the 100th birth anniversary of the beloved composer Ester Mägi, who passed away at the age of 99. Anniversary events take place in concert halls as well as on radio and television. Ester Mägi's music will be performed at the Great Hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, the Estonia Concert Hall, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra concert and chamber and choir concerts. 

On January 9, at 4 pm, a concert “Jubilee. Ester Mägi 100” will take place at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Concert Hall, where students of the EAMT majoring in choral conducting perform the composer's mixed, male and female choral works with the choir. On the stage there will be the  EAMT Choir, the Young Men’s Choir of the Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir and the Musamari Chamber Choir. Conductors are EAMT’s choir conducting students Kaur Pennert, Miguel Silva, Hyonah Song, Marius Raba, Mari Roos, Ode Pürg, Rihards Zarinš and Meelis Kesperi.

On January 10 at 7 pm in the Estonia Concert Hall, a program prepared together with the composer will be performed at the concert “Maestra Ester Mägi 100”. The concert will be born of silence and violin solo and grows into a powerful final chord of the male choir and organ - a work dedicated to Mart Saar, the teacher of Ester Mägi. Performers are Tuuri Dede (mezzo-soprano), Hans Christian Aavik (violin), Arvo Leibur (violin), Heiki Mätlik (guitar), Mirjam Avango (clarinet), Terje Terasmaa (vibraphone), Kadri-Ann Sumera (piano), Tähe-Lee Liiv (piano), Ene Salumäe (organ), mixed choir HUIK!, Estonian National Male Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. Conductors are Tõnu Kaljuste, Ode Pürg and Mikk Üleoja. The concert will be broadcast live by Estonian Klassikaraadio.

Estonian Klassikaraadio has dedicated the 10th of January 10 to the work of Ester Mägi. Mägi's music from albums, concert recordings, portrait show and a live broadcast of the author's concert will reach the listener.

On the ETV2 programme, Vahur Laiapea's documentary “Ester Mägi. Cadenza and Motif” (2014) will be on air on January 10 at 12 pm.


Ester Mägi. Photo: Kaupo Kikkas

The Estonian National Male Choir conducted by Mikk Üleoja will give a concert on January 12 at 4 pm in the Estonia Concert Hall. The programme will feature the works of Ester Mägi and her teacher Mart Saar.

Ester Mägi's Symphony will be performed at the concert of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra “Winter Romance” on January 14 at 7 pm under the direction of Andres Kaljuste. The soloist of the concert is Indrek Leivategija, who will be soloing in Camille Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto. The main work of the program is Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1 in D minor. The concert will be broadcast live by Klassikaraadio.

On January 19, at 6 pm, the series “Chamber Musicians in the City” will feature works by Mart Saar and Ester Mägi in the hall of the Tallinn Central Library. Mezzo-soprano Iris Oja and pianist Kadri-Ann Sumera have dedicated their concert to the 140th anniversary of Mart Saar and the 100th birthday of Ester Mägi.

The concert of the Estonian Female Song Society “Ester Mägi 100” will take place on January 30 at 5 pm in the House of Blackheads in Tallinn. The artistic director of the concert is Margit Võsa.

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