Indrek Vau

b. April 9, 1971, Tallinn
Member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians since 2000

Indrek Vau is a much-requested soloist and ensemble player. He studied trumpet at Tallinn Music High School and the Estonian Academy of Music. In 1996, he furthered his studies with Professor Jouko Harjanne at Sibelius Academy, where he graduated with a master’s degree in solo trumpet in 2001. He has also taken part in the master courses of Stephen Burns and Eric Aubier and contests in Estonia and abroad including Art Munich ’97 and Lieksa Brass Week in 1998. In 1994, he achieved the split of the second and third prize at the trumpeters’ competition in Cologne.

In 1990-1996, Indrek Vau was a member of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (since 1993 as the principal of the trumpet group), in 1996-1997 the solo trumpeter of the Sibelius Academy’s Symphony Orchestra, in 1997-2000 the solo trumpeter of the Tapiola Sinfonietta, in 1998 a member of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and in 2000-2001 the principal of the trumpet group of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2000, Vau has again been the principal of the trumpet group of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, he became a teacher at the Estonian Academy of Music.

Indrek Vau made his debut as a soloist with an orchestra in 1991. Today, his rich repertoire comprises most of the classical trumpet concertos along with 20th-century masterpieces by Eino Tamberg, Arvo Pärt, Jaan Rääts, André Jolivet, Henri Tomasi, Paul Hindemith, Dmitri Shostakovich, Bengt Lorenzen, among others.

Indrek Vau has performed as a soloist with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Novaya Opera Theatre Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, Hortus Music Academic Orchestra, and NYYD Ensemble. He has collaborated with conductors Neeme Järvi, Eri Klas, Arvo Volmer, Olari Elts, Risto Joost, Paul Mägi, Andres Mustonen, Nikolay Alexeev, and Paavo Berglund, pianists Peep Lassmann, Mati Mikalai, Ralf Taal and Marko Martin, and organists Ines Maidre and Ulla Krigul.

Estonian trumpet music holds an important place in Indrek Vau’s repertoire. He has been a commissioner and first performer of several new works and recorded most of the Estonian trumpet music at Estonian Public Broadcasting.

In 2004, Indrek Vau’s first solo album Estonian Trumpet Music was released with works for trumpet and piano by Hillar Kareva, Harri Otsa, Heino Jürisalu and Anatoli Garshnek (piano accompaniment by Mati Mikalai). In 2009, an album of the trumpet concertos of Eino Tamberg was released in cooperation with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Estonian Public Broadcasting.

Indrek Vau was awarded the Annual Prize of the Endowment for Music of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2017) and the prize "Musician of the Year" of the Association of the Estonian Professional Musicians (2021).

© EMIC 2010
(updated December 2021)

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