Kalle Randalu

b. November 25, 1956, Tallinn

Kalle Randalu is an Estonian pianist of international acclaim. He graduated from the piano class of Tiina Kurik at Tallinn Music High School in 1975 and from Tallinn State Conservatoire with Prof. Bruno Lukk in 1980. In 1980–1983, he furthered his piano studies as a postgraduate student with Prof. Lev Vlassenko at Moscow Conservatoire. Kalle Randalu has been awarded many prizes at several international piano competitions: 1st prize at the International Competition of Young Pianists in Usti-nad-Labem, Czechoslovakia (1971), 1st prize at the pianists’ competition of the former Soviet Union Republics’ in Tallinn (1976), a laureate at the Schumann Competition in Zwickau (1981) and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1982), and 1st prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich (1985).

In 1980–1988, Kalle Randalu was the soloist of the State Philharmonic Society of Estonian SSR, in 1982–1983, the chief editor of music programs at the Estonian Radio. In 1988, he settled in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Kalle Randalu has given concerts in most European countries, the USA, Australia, Russia, and Japan. Among the venues where he has performed are the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Hercules Hall Munich, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Musikhalle Hamburg, the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg and the Rosengarten Mannheim. He has performed with many prominent orchestras such as the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian State Orchestra, the Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestras, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Württemberg, Bratislava, St. Petersburg, Berlin, and Ostrobotnian Chamber Orchestras, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra, and many others. He has collaborated with such conductors as Wolfgang Sawallisch, Mariss Jansons, Nathan Rachlin, Nikolai Alexeev, Maxim Shostakovich, Juha Kangas, Leif Segerstam, Osmo Vänskä, Jörg Faerber, Jac van Steen, Kazushi Ono, Christoph Poppen, Vladimir Fedosseyev, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Peeter Lilje, Arvo Volmer, Jüri Alperten, Eri Klas, Olari Elts, Risto Joost among others.

Kalle Randalu has over 50 piano concertos in his repertoire and a large number of solo and chamber works. In collaboration with the Finnish conductor Juha Kangas he has played nearly all of Mozart’s 27 piano concertos. On many occasions, he has played all the Beethoven concertos and the Choral Fantasy within two evenings. Thanks to close connections with Estonian composers he has premiered many contemporary Estonian works, including works by Kuldar Sink, Raimo Kangro, and Jaan Rääts.

In addition to solo recitals, also performing in various chamber ensembles is important for Kalle Randalu. For over 20 years he has been connected with Villa Musica, one of Germany’s biggest concert institutions, which brings together leading German musicians and organizes about 150 chamber music concerts a year all over the country. His partners in Villa Musica have been Sabine Meyer, David Geringas, Radovan Vlatković, Dag Jensen, Martin Ostertag, and others.

Kalle Randalu has recorded over 40 CDs and 16 LPs. Exceptionally successful has been a cycle of Paul Hindemith’s complete sonatas (recorded together with Villa Musica players) which has been awarded such prizes as the Classical Award in Cannes and ECHO Klassik (German Phono Academie). Notable among his recordings are also a double CD with Brahms piano trios (Coviello, 2011) and a cycle of 3 CDs with Schumann’s chamber music (MDG, 2010, 2011) with Villa Musica players. Together with Finnish conductor Juha Kangas and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra Kalle Randalu has recorded Mozart’s piano concerts KV 413, 414, and 415 (Alba Records) and released with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Neeme Järvi Beethoven’s 5 concertos and both Brahms’ concertos (Estonian Record Productions).

In addition to his career as an active musician, Kalle Randalu has also worked as a piano teacher in both Estonia and Germany. He has taught piano at the Tallinn State Conservatory and Tallinn Music High School (1984–1988). He has been a Guest Professor at the Universität der Künste Berlin (1990/1991), a professor at the Freiburg University of Music (1994–1997), and since 1997 has held a professorship at the Karlsruhe University of Music. He has held several piano master courses in Estonia, Finland, Australia, the US, Germany, and elsewhere.

Kalle Randalu was given the honorary title of Estonian SSR Honoured Worker in Arts (1982) and the honorary title of Estonian SSR People’s Artist (1987). He has received the Estonian Republic’s IV Class Order of the White Star (2001) and has been awarded twice the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2006, 2016). Since 1999, he has held an honorary doctorate from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Kalle Randalu is represented by AS Artists Management.
Homepage of Kalle Randalu.

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).