Heli Jürgenson

Heli Jürgenson
b. 9.05.1969 Kiviõli

Heli Jürgenson graduated from Georg Ots Tallinn Music School in 1988 under the guidance of Ants Soots and Ebe Pille and from Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where she studied conducting with Ants Soots.

Since 1992 Heli Jürgenson is choir conducting pedagogue at Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (2003–2007 head of choir conducting department). In 2001–2004 Heli Jürgenson taught conducting at Institute of Theology of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Heli Jürgenson has also worked as a choirmaster of Estonian National Opera (2001–2011) and participated at staging vocal-symphonic works as Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, Johannes Brahms German Requiem, Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, Sergei Rachmaninoff's The Bells, Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius and operas as  Modest Mussorgsky’s Boriss Godunov, Manuel de Falla The Brief Life, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida and Rigoletto, Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser , Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola, Erki-Sven Tüür's Wallenberg, Mari Vihmand's The Formula of Love and Georges Bizet The Pearl Fishers.

Since 2011 Heli Jürgenson is choirmaster of Estonia Philharmonic Chamber Choir. During the three seasons Jürgenson has participated in bringing on stage several concert programmes including Arvo Pärt's Litania, In Principio, Te Deum, Adam's Lament, Gabriel Faure's Requiem, Joseph Haydn's The Seasons, The Creation, Francis Poulenc's Gloria, Seven Responses of the Tenebrae, Stabat Mater, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Coronation Mass and Requiem, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, James MacMillan's Seven Last Words from the cross and Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi  and operas as Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Heli Jürgenson has been the conductor of several choirs. In 1989–1993 Jürgenson was the conductor of Nõmme Rahu Church Youth Choir. In 1993 Heli Jürgenson founded Mixed Choir of Estonia Society and is the conductor of the choir until today. The choir has won II prize at international choir festival „Tallinn 94“, also a silver diploma in Vatika (1988) and Grand Prix in Barcelona (2001) and participated at Estonian music days in Los Angeles (USA). Lately, choir won I prize at international choir contest "Tallinn 2013" at mixed choirs category. By conducting of Heli Jürgenson CD „Liugleb üks lind“ has been released in 2003. In 1999–2004 Heli Jürgenson was the conductor of Evangelical Lutheran Church Charles XI Choir and 2003–2008 conductor of the mixed choir of Georg Ots Tallinn Music School. Heli Jürgenson has also participated in jury's work of several choir contests.

Heli Jürgenson has been the first performer of Estonian composers including Piret Rips and Mart Siimer and collaborated with several music organisations as Estonian Concert, Cristian Music Association „Sonico“ and XXI Century Symphony Orchestra. In 2002 Jürgenson was principal conductor of Youth Song Celebration. In 2004 Jürgenson was the conductor of mixed choirs at XXIV Estonian Song Celebration and 2009 principal conductor of mixed and selection choirs. In addition, Jürgenson has conducted at EELC Sacred Song Festival in Viljandi (1993), Pärnu (2000, also artistic director) and Tartu (2005, 2010 also artistic director at both song celebrations). Jürgenson has also been artistic director of Estonian-Finnish song festival (2007) and Nordic-Baltic Song Celebration in Tartu (2008). In 2002 Heli Jürgenson belonged to organisation panel of Tallinn international church music conference. In 2014 Heli Jürgenson will be principal conductor of mixed choirs at XXVI Song Celebration Aja puudutus. Puudutuse aeg. (Touched by time. The time to touch.)

Heli Jürgenson belongs to EELC Church Music Association (1993), Estonian Choral Association (2001, founder member) and Estonian Mixed Choirs Association (2003, member of the board in 2003–2007), EELC Synod and Song Festival Foundation (founder member, 2007–2010 chairman of the board, since 2010 councillor). Since 2010 Heli Jürgenson is a  board member of the Estonian Choir Association.

Heli Jürgenson was awarded the Annual award of the Folk Culture Endowment of the Estonian Cultural Endowment (2002), the Main Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment (2018) and the Order of Merit of the White Star, 4th Class (2020). She has been named Conductor of The Year by Estonian Choral Association (2013) and received Gustav Ernesaks’s choir music scholarship (2013).

© EMIC 2014
(updated in March 2020)

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