Villu Veski

b. December 19, 1962, Muhu
Member of the Assotiation of Estonian Professional Musicians
Member of the Estonian Jazz Union

Villu Veski began music studies at the Kingissepa Music School in Saaremaa under the guidance of Jüri Larin. In 1980, he continued studies on saxophone with Olavi Kasemaa at the Tallinn State Conservatoire, graduating in 1985. He has also participated in additional courses such as Tatabánya Jazz Camp in Hungary in 1988 with Ernie Wilkins and Summer Academy of Paris Conservatoire in Nice, France in 1989 with Claude Delangle.

In 1982–2000, Villu Veski worked at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School as a saxophone and improvisation teacher, in 1999–2006 at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy (professor of the music department since 2002), and in 2001–2003 at the Estonian Academy of Music. He has lead several master courses in Germany (Freiburg), Norway, Finland and Faroe Islands. Since 2006, Villu Veski is the chairman of the Kuressaare Cultural Property. He is a member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians (1999–2007 also member of the board), and the Estonian Jazz Union (member of the board since 2007). In 2005, Villu Veski was awarded the Annual Prize of Estonian Cultural Endowment.

Villu Veski is organizer of several festivals and concert series: in 1988 he was one of the organizers and performers at Estonian Concert’s festival Saxomania, in 1997 he initiated Muhu Future Music Festival Juu Jääb and until now is the artistic director of it. In 2006, Villu Veski founded jazz-club Jazz del Mar in Kuressaare and since 2008, he is the organizer of concert series Jazzruler@RockCafe. Known as jazz- and folk musician, Villu Veski also performs classical and contemporary music. He has appeared at the Estonian Music Days Festival and NYYD-Festival, and has been the first performer of saxophone concerts by Estonian composers Eino Tamberg and Hillar Kareva. He has cooperated with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Nõmme City Orchestra. He is a member of Tallinn Saxophone Quartet since it was founded in 1983. The quartet has performed at numerous festivals in Estonia and abroad, also being the first performer of over 20 works by Estonian composers.

Villu Veski has been founder of several jazz ensembles as Villu Veski’s Quartet (1985), Avicenna (with Sergei Manukjan), Saxappeal Band (since 1992) and Villu Veski Jazz-Group (2006), and has launched Nordic Sounds project with Tiit Kalluste. In 2002, Villu Veski’s and Tiit Kalluste’s tango-sextet with Argentinian percussionist Daniel “Pipi” Piazolla was established.

Villu Veski has performed with many well-known musician from Estonia and abroad. He has appeared at all Estonian jazz-festivals such as Jazzkaar, Student Jazz, Fiesta International, Rainbow Jazz, Muhu Future Music Festival Juu Jääb and at several festivals abroad, such as Rigas Ritmi (Latvia), Kaunas Jazz (Lithuania), Rochester International Jazz Festival (USA), JazzyColours (France), INNtöne Jazz Festival (Austria), Dortmund Jazz Festival (Germany), Tübingen Jazztage (Germany), Plazey Festival (Belgium), Magie d´un Soir Festival (Luxembourg), Summertonar Festival (Faroe Islands), Pori Jazz (Finland), Athena Jazz Festival (Greece) and Mediawave Festival (Hungary). He has given recitals with different ensembles all over the Scandinavia, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Ireland, Canada, USA, Argentina and Tai.

Villu Veski has also composed film and theatre music, including music for series of Discovery Travel Channel, and documentaries about Estonia such as A journey thorough Estonia, and Muhu – Estlands mystische Insel. In 1999, he wrote music for 13-part documentary series Around the world in 90 days. He has also composed music for Eurovision Song Contest‘s (2002) introduction clips between competition songs and music pieces for projects Tango Nuevo (2002, Buenos Aires), Elu ja rütm (2004, Hawaii), Rudy Maxa's World (2007). During the years 1998–2009, he has released five CD-s with his music.



© EMIC 2013

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).