The world’s most in-depth major event dedicated to new Estonian music — the Estonian Music Days (EMP) — will take place this year from April 25 to May 4. The festival is organized by the Estonian Composers’ Union, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. Inspired by this milestone, the festival’s theme is “Sada/100”, with Helena Tulve and Timo Steiner serving as artistic directors. The Tartu program is curated by Märt-Matis Lill.

As part of the festival’s expanded program, Liisa Hõbepappel’s brand-new opera will be staged on May 10 at Viimsi Artium. In addition to numerous concerts, the festival includes more informal events, discussions, and reflections curated in collaboration with the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Music (ECCM).

A special focus of the Estonian Music Days (EMP) is on the current state of Estonian music and highlighting emerging talents. The program also features a wealth of renowned performers: beloved soloists Tähe-Lee Liiv (piano) and Marcel Johannes Kits (cello), the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, Ensemble U:, and the Estonian National Male Choir, among others.


Ensemble U:. Photo: Evert Palmets

A major international highlight is the legendary Arditti Quartet, a flagship of contemporary music for which hundreds of works have been written over the past 50 years. They will give a substantial concert on May 2, and also lead a masterclass for students at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, encouraging young talents to engage with quartet composition.

A rare event will take place on April 26 at the Arvo Pärt Centre, where audiences can enjoy an extended evening titled “Transcendence”, consisting of three concerts. Performers include Liis Jürgens (harp), Monika Mattiesen (flute), Michael Wendeberg (piano), and the piano duo Kadri-Ann Sumera and Talvi Hunt. Premieres will include works by Toivo Tulev, Rein Rannap, Andrus Kallastu, Helena Tulve, Lola-Mariin Hermaküla, Alo Põldmäe, and Aaro Pertmann.

The anniversary edition of the festival also includes the presentation of the comprehensive overview book Living, Sounding, Creative: Estonian Composers’ Union 100, authored by Kerri Kotta, Äli-Ann Klooren, and Kristina Kõrver. The book can be ordered from the Estonian Music Information Centre.

“Due to the anniversary of the Composers’ Union, this year’s festival has a slightly more retrospective tone. The connection between past and present generations has always been one of the Union’s distinctive strengths, and we’re highlighting this through selected concerts and with the publication of a special book about the Union’s history,” says Märt-Matis Lill, Chairman of the Estonian Composers’ Union and curator of the festival’s Tartu program.

One of the festival’s highlights is the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra’s (ERSO) concert, featuring new works by five Estonian composers: Rasmus Puur, Mari Vihmand, Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, Timo Steiner, and Märt-Matis Lill — each inspired by a mentor or role model. In the second half, the concert looks back to history with Artur Lemba’s lushly romantic Symphony No. 1, the first symphony ever written by an Estonian composer. The concert will be conducted by acclaimed German maestro Michael Wendeberg, known for his exceptional interpretations of contemporary music.


Arditti Quartet. Photo: Manu Theobald

Among top international ensembles, The Vicentino Singers will perform on May 4 at Kloostri Ait. This six-member vocal ensemble specializes in both the newest music and 16th–17th-century vocal polyphony. Its members live and work in Finland and Estonia, and their mission is to give composers the opportunity to create virtuosic vocal chamber music, expanding the expressive possibilities of the human voice.

Two major composition competitions continue, with prize funds supported by LHV Bank. Finalists for the “Young Composer 2025” competition will be announced in early April on the Estonian Composers’ Union website and the Loomelabor Facebook page. The final round and concert will take place on May 1 at 15:30 at Tubin Hall in Tartu. The winner of the “LHV Award for New Composition 2025” will be announced at the festival’s opening concert on April 25 at the Estonia Concert Hall.

The Estonian Music Days (EMP) is the most extensive and longest-running contemporary music festival in Estonia. Over the decades, it has become a vital platform for Estonian composers and new musical creation. The festival is unique for the sheer number of premieres commissioned specifically for EMP and its focus on showcasing the richness of Estonian music. Nearly every year, international performers join the lineup, helping Estonian music reach audiences beyond national borders. Under the EMP umbrella, Estonia hosted the World Music Days — the world’s leading international contemporary music festival — in 2019. In 2021, EMP launched the Baltic Music Days, which in 2024 took place in Tartu, the European Capital of Culture. This year, the festival returns primarily to Tallinn, with select events in Tartu as well.

The full Estonian Music Days program is available on the festival’s website: eestimuusikapaevad.ee

Concerts by ERSO, the Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and the Arditti Quartet will be broadcast by Klassikaraadio, with recordings available for later listening on their website.

Tickets are available via Piletilevi, and festival passes can be purchased from Fienta.

 

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