Nata-Ly Sakkos
b. June 23, 1950, TallinnMember of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians since 1999
Member of the Association of Japan Piano Duos since 1989
Board Member of Association of Estonian Chamber Music Teachers
Pianist Nata-Ly Sakkos (Natalia Sakkos) graduated in 1969 from Tartu Music School in piano with Maris Valk-Falk and continued her piano studies in Tallinn State Conservatoire, graduating in 1974 under the guidance of Professor Laine Mets. In 1974–1976, she improved her skills in chamber music at the postgraduate level at Leningrad Conservatoire with Tamara Fidler.
Currently, she is a professor in the chamber music department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and since 2006, leads the work of the chamber music department of Tallinn Music High School. In 2000–2006, Sakkos worked at Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory and Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. She has given several master courses in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Italy.
Among her pupils are Ene Nael, Pille Taniloo, Irina Zahharenkova, Toomas Vavilov, Vahur Vurm, Lembi Mets, Virgo Veldi et al.
Nata-Ly Sakkos has achieved recognition above all as a valued chamber musician and an accompanist. Since 1975, she has played in Tallinn Piano Duo with pianist Toivo Peäske. Duo has participated in many festivals (Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Šiauliai, Karlsruhe, Stockholm, Jyväskylä, London) and given solo concerts in several cities of Estonia and cities of the former Soviet Union, appearing such concert venues like St. Petersburg Philharmonia’s Great Hall and Small Hall, Moscow Conservatory’s Rachmaninov Hall and Small Hall, Stockholm Concert Hall (Konserthuset), Kings Place in London and others. Tallinn Piano Duo has performed with many orchestras and given concerts with Moscow Piano Duo (Jelena Sorokina – Alexander Bakhchiev) in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Jekaterinburg and Tallinn. In recent years, Sakkos and Peäske have participated in the work of the Estonian Piano Orchestra, founded in 2002.
Nata-Ly Sakkos has performed at several festivals in Estonia and abroad (Kuressaare Chamber Music Days, David Oistrakh Festival, Estonian Music Days, Elva Clarinet Summer, Crusell Music Festival in Uusikaupunki, etc) and premiered over 60 works by Estonian, Finnish, Russian and Sweden composers. Sas has performed with several Estonian top musicians including clarinet players Vello Sakkos, Toomas Vavilov and Vahur Vurm, flutist Jaan Õun, violinists Imbi-Malle Kuus, Niina Murdvee and Leena Laas, cellists Lembi Mets and Allar Kaasik, singers Merle Hillep, Tiiu Levald, Margarita Voites, Helvi Raamat et al. She has also collaborated with many foreign performers like violinists Yair Kless, Hagai Shaham, Anatoli Melnikov, viola players Alexander Bobrovsky, cellists Erkki Rautio, Hannu Kiiski, flutists Matti Helin, Elina Vuorela, Thomas Prevost, clarinetists Reijo Koskinen, Kell Inge Stevensson, Francois Benda, Alessandro Carbonare, Michel Lethiec, bassoonists Jussi Särkkä, Dag Jensen, Jörg Thome et al. In 2000–2006, when Sakkos worked in Finland, she performed a lot of chamber music with musicians of Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and Kokkola Quartet. Sakkos has been the accompanist at the master courses of Neeme Järvi, Michel Lethiec, Viktor Pikaizen, Yair Kless, Dag Jensen and Jörg Thomé.
Nata-Ly Sakkos is the initiator of the international chamber music competition-festival In corpore for young musicians in Estonia and Ostrobothnian festival of children piano duos in Finland.
Nata-Ly Sakkos has recorded piano music for Estonian Radio, Finnish Broadcasting Company and performed in Estonian Television and Soviet Central Television. Together with singer Annami Hylkilä (Finland), Sakkos has recorded two CDs (2005, 2006).
Nata-Ly Sakkos has been awarded the Estonian annual prize for music (1990) and the Medal of the White Star (2001).
© EMIC 2010
(updated in January 2015)
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