Music News
Estonian Music Information Centre in on Christmas vacation
Estonian Music Information Centre in on Christmas vacation from December 21 till January 1. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for all!
Premiere of Hans-Gunter Lock’s Concerto for solo violin and chamber ensemble
On November, 28th another concert of the series “Different Harmonies” will take place at Tallinn Methodist Church. There will be the world premiere of Hans-Gunter Lock’s Concerto for solo violin and chamber ensemble. The solo violin part will be performed by Gerhard Lock, lecturer at Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School. Ensemble Projekt 7 is especially established for this concert and is conducted by Andrus Kallastu who is known for his experiences in contemporary music.
Estonian music and musicians in Malta and St. Petersburg
Aare Tammesalu (cello) and Andres Uibo (organ) participate in Malta International Organ Festival. Their concerts take place on November 22 in Jesus of Nazareth Chapel in Xagħra, Gozo and November 24 in Bir Miftuħ Medieval Chapel in Gudja. Ensemble Resonabilis (Kristi Mühling – kannel, Tarmo Johannes – flute, Aare Tammesalu – cello) performs on November 26 on the 28th „Sound Ways” International New Music Festival in St. Petersburg. Concert in St. Petersburg House of Composers presents Estonian contemporary music.
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra perform music by Arvo Pärt in China
During the period from 19 November to 25 November, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra will perform music by Arvo Pärt in People’s Republic of China. Concerts will be conducted by Tallinn Chamber Orchestra’s chief conductor Risto Joost.
Brand new choral piece „Linnuteelaev“ by Tõnu Kõrvits will be premiered
On October 30 at 6 pm, Tõnu Kõrvits’s new choral piece "Linnuteelaev" ("Milky Way Ship", text: Doris Kareva) will be premiered by chamber choir Collegium Musicale at All Soul’s Day concert at St. John’s Church in Tallinn. Also Kõrvit’s "Stabat Mater" will receive its Estonian premiere. "Linnuteelaev" is dedicated to Collegium Musicale and its chief conductor Endrik Üksvärav.
International Contemporary Music Festival Afekt
From October 19 to 26, international contemporary music festival Afekt takes place in Tallinn and Tartu. Afekt offers the premium opportunity to listen new works by Estonian and foreign composers performed by internationally and domestically acknowledged collectives. Program includes premieres of works by Lauri Jõeleht, Monika Mattiesen, Toivo Tulev, Elo Masing, Liisa Hirsch, Oxana Omelchuk, Asta Hyvärinen, Malin Bång and Rei Munakata. Among performers there are Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn New Music Ensemble, Klangforum Wien (Austria), Ensemble Adapter (Germany), Defunensemble (Finland), Curious Chamber Players (Sweden) and others.
Ensemble U: at the Venice Biennale
Ensemble U: (Tarmo Johannes - flute, Helena Tuuling - clarinet, Merje Roomere - violin, Levi-Danel Mägila - cello, Vambola Krigul - percussion, Taavi Kerikmäe - piano) will perform at the Biennale Musica of the Venice Biennale. Before the concert in Venice, Ensemble U: appears twice on the stage in Palermo as well.
Annual Awards of the Estonian Music Council and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia
On October 1, International Music Day, the laureates of music awards of the year 2016 were announced. Ceremony took place in Kumu Art Museum with the concert of Tallinn Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Risto Joost. Laureates of the Estonian Music Council Music Prizes are Ülo Krigul, Vello Pähn and Tiina Mattisen.
Estonia celebrates the International Music Day
On the 1st of October, the Estonian Music Council organizes the program of over 150 free concerts that take place all over Estonia. Music Day culminates with Music Awards Ceremony in KUMU Art Musem, which is broadcasted live on ETV.
Festival „Mirror in the Mirror“ in Moscow
From September 25 to October 10, music festival „Zerkalo v zerkale“ („Mirror in the Mirror“) will take place in Moscow. Festival that was set up for the first time in 2015 in the honour of the 80th anniversary of Arvo Pärt, focuses this year on the overview of composers from Baltic countries sharing common aesthetics. The guest composer will be Galina Grigorjeva from Estonia.
The presentation of CD of Arvo Pärt by Vox Clamantis in New York
Record label ECM has released Arvo Pärt’s author’s CD „The Deer’s Cry“ with the vocal music of Arvo Pärt performed by ensemble Vox Clamantis and its conductor Jaan-Eik Tulve. Presentation concerts of this CD took place in Estonia last week within the festival Arvo Pärt Days. On September 18, presentation will take place also in New York St. Francis Xavier Church marking at the same time the final visit of the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, to the United States.
Arvo Pärt Days to begin on Friday
Arvo Pärt Days organized by Nargenfestival and its artistic director Tõnu Kaljuste offers concerts in Tallinn, Tartu, Paide and Rakvere with programs of latest and early works by Arvo Pärt. Performers are the best collectives of Estonia: Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, ensembles Vox Clamantis and YXUS, Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir and chamber choir Voces Musicales.
The premiere of Elis Vesik's work in Arnold Schönberg Centre
On August 25, the world premiere of "To Become a Tree" by young composer Elis Vesik will take place in the prestigious Arnold Schönberg Centre in Vienna. The work for piano, flute, clarinet, violin and cello is performed by Belgian contemporary music ensemble Fractales.
Erkki-Sven Tüür is a Composer-in-Residence at Moritzburg Festival
Erkki-Sven Tüür is a Composer-in-Residence at Moritzburg Festival that takes place from August 6 to 21 in Germany. Programme known by now presents Tüür’s works at three concerts. „Fata Morgana“ for piano trio in Moritzburg Lutheran Church on August 13, String Quartet No. 2 „Lost Prayers“ in Moritzburg Castle on August 16, and „Prints“ for flute and harp in Moritzburg Castle on August 17.
Estonian Music Information Centre is on summer vacation
Estonian Music Information Centre is on summer vacation until the 31st of July. Find the concerts in July from our Calendar of Music Events. Have a wonderful summer!
Tartu City Day 2016 – Opera Crosses Over
On Tartu City Day opera will go and have a blast in the city! On June 29, opera soloists will leave their department in the oldest of Estonian theatres, that of Vanemuine Theatre, and join their forces with other artists for concerts in somewhat less expected places.
XIX Suure-Jaani Music Festival
From June 17 to 23, festival dedicated to Kapp family will take place in Suure-Jaani. Traditional concerts are complemented by exhibition, musical church service and and lunch hours in the cafe Arturi Juures (At Arthur’s), where interpreters and composers perform music as well as speak about their work. The highlight of the festival has been the sunrise concert held at three o’clock at night on the Hüpassaare bog island.
Young Composers’ Lab: TREFFPUNKT at Sinilind
Treffpunkt (Meeting Place) is an interdisciplinary contemporary art event, melted round table and audiovisual concert with new pieces by young composers, starting at 5.30 pm at café-cinema Sinilind. The idea of „Treffpunkt“ is to offer a meeting place or space and informal communication environment for the students of three higher education institutions and chosen schools awarded pupils together with the audience.
Nargenfestival start its 11th season
The new season of Nargenfestival opens with the concert of Tõnu Kõrvits’s works from his newly released album „Mirror“ (ECM) which are performed by cello soloist Anja Lechner from Germany, singer Kadri Voorand, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste. The work presented by Tõnu Kaljuste at the second opening concert of the festival is one of the greatest achievements of Ludwig van Beethoven – „Missa solemnis“. On June 11 and 12, Cyrillus Kreek’s Days will take place in Haapsalu Dome Church once again.
Ülo Krigul and Maria Kõrvits were successful at the International Rostrum of Composers
"Langedes ülespoole, taeva kaarjasse kaussi" ("falling up into the bowl of sky") by young Estonian composer Maria Kõrvits (b. 1987) achieved the first prize in the category of composers under 30 at the 63rd International Rostrum of Composers (IRC) held in Wroclaw, from May 16 to 21, 2016. Ülo Krigul’s "Vesi ise" for mixed choir and phonogram gained the 2nd place in the general category.
Concert series „Mozart & Pärt“ in Los Angeles
In the course of May, several concerts connected with the music of Arvo Pärt take place in Walt Disney Concert Hall, the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, four concerts will be given together with Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
U.S. premiere of Jonas Tarm’s „Refugee at Sea“
„Refugee at Sea“, a work for string orchestra, will premiere in the United States on May 21 in New York City. It will be performed by the Camerata Notturna orchestra and conductor Kyle Ritenauer. The performance is May 21, 2016, at 2 p.m., Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church at Lincoln Center. The performance stems from Jonas’ winning of Camerata Notturna’s inaugural composition competition.
Concert of Jaan Rääts’s music in Strasbourg
On May 25, French pianist Nicolas Horvath will give a concert in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Concert marks the opening of the Estonian Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Pianist has selected only Jaan Rääts’s music into the program.
Mozartfest at Tallinn Philharmonic Society
Two concerts dedicated to Mozart will take place in Tallinn House of Blackheads: „Songs by Mozart and Salieri“ on May 5 and „Season Finale“ on May 7. The first concert will feature Kädy Plaas-Kala (vocal, commentaries), Urmas Vulp (violin), Marje Lohuaru (piano, commentaries) and Kristel Pappel (commentaries). On May 7, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Martin Kuuskmann (bassoon) under the baton of Risto Joost will make the first performance of Tõnu Kõrvits’s Bassoon Concerto "Rain´s Songs to the Rainbow".
Soprano Katrin Targo was successful in the solo competition in the U.S.
Estonian soprano Katrin Targo living in Vienna won the third place at the 39th Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition in New York. The competition was organised by Oratorio Society of New York.
Estonian Music Days to begin
This year’s theme of the annual festival promoting Estonian composers’ new works is „Green Sound?” and will take place from April 7–16. During the festival, audiences will hear more than 30 premieres of brand new compositions. As an innovation, the LHV Bank is sponsoring a new composition award called Au-tasu. Additionally, some of the concerts will take place in Viimsi for the first time in the festival’s history.
ECM will release Tõnu Kõrvits’s CD „Mirror“
Next week, Tõnu Kõrvits’s new CD „Mirror“ will be released by record label ECM. Kõrvits’s music is performed by singer Kadri Voorand, cellist Anja Lechner, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under the baton of Tõnu Kaljuste.
Olari Elts conducts Erkki-Sven Tüür’s music in France, Portugal and Finland
In March, Erkki-Sven Tüür’s works will be performed by conductor Olari Elts, Orchestre National de Lyon, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Arcis Saxophon Quartett and others in London, Lyon, Munich, Espoo and Porto.
Kadri-Ann Sumera’s recital of Estonian music
On February 18, pianist Kadri-Ann Sumera will play a program of Estonian music in Darmstadt Akademie für Tonkunst at the contemporary music festival Zeitströme. Concert entitled as Hymnus an den Wind presents works by Raimo Kangro, Lepo Sumera, Eduard Tubin, Tõnu Kõrvits, Mari Vihmand, Kristjan Kõrver and Ester Mägi.
Nordic/Baltic percussion festival Percussion Plus takes place in Tallinn
From February 17 to 21 the biggest Nordic/Baltic percussion festival Percussion Plus takes place in Tallinn. Festival brings together over 150 professional percussionists, students at higher education level and youth on pre-academic level from more than twenty Nordic/Baltic music institutions
3rd Digital Composition Contest for school students
Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School Didactics of Arts announces the 3rd Digital Composition Contest for school students. Deadline is March 28, 2016.
Erkki-Sven Tüür’s orchestral piece on tour in Australia, performance of Piano Concerto in Romania
Erkki-Sven Tüür’s cycle for strings "Action. Passion. Illusion" (1993) is in the program of ACO Collective tour in Australia from February 4 to 19. Under the baton of Pekka Kuusisto 11 concerts will be given in different cities of Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle, Adelaide and Brisbane. Tüür’s Piano Concerto (2006) will be performed by pianist Mihkel Poll with the Filarmonica Oltenia on February 26 in Craiova, Romania.
MustonenFest 2016 to begin
Festival under the direction of Andres Mustonen will take place from January 29 to February 6 in Tallinn and other cities of Estonia. Festival guests are State Choir Latvija, Boris Berezovsky (piano, Russia), Serbian Byzantine Choir, Giora Feidman Trio (Israel), Chamber Orchestra Moscow Virtuosi and Keren Hadar (soprano, Israel).
Annual Prizes of the Estonian Choral Association
On January 23, Estonian Choral Association announced the annual prizes of choir and wind music in Estonia Concert Hall. Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir (conductor Hirvo Surva) was recognised The Choir of the Year 2015 for successful performance at the international choir festival „Tallinn 2015“, participation in five large-scale works and 55 performances in National Opera. Oonurme Mixed Choir (conductors Ants Üleoja and Keio Soomelt) was also selected as the Choir of the Year for the contribution to the cultural space.
Dutch Vocal Ensemble TIEN will once again sing Estonian and Finnish choral music
Tomorrow, On January 9, Dutch Vocal Ensemble TIEN will once again present an a cappella program „Laulan!” with choral gems from Estonia and Finland in Zeist, The Netherlands. The concert will be held at Sionskrk, conducted by Felix van den Homberg.
Pärnu Contemporary Music Days
Pärnu Contemporary Music Days 2016 explores connections between word and music from three aspects: written word and music, revelational word and music, and spoken word and music.