Kairi Kosk

b. May 16, 1976, Tartu
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2000

Peculiar to Kairi Kosk’s idiom is a consequence and picturesque flow of images. Kosk’s imagery exhibits a rather bold sonic concept and strong sensibility of colouring. Musical development is often full of abrubt contrasts and vivid accents. Certain humour or irony is manifested by usage of different style elements. In Kosk’s music, melodic and timbral-harmonic approaches to sound are equally important, also she manages to intriguingly combine them.
Recent works of the composer are characterised by connecting music with other fields of art – she tries to find the best modes of deriving musical structures from physical movements, visual images and literature as well.

In 1995, Kairi Kosk graduated from the Tallinn Music High School, where she studied flute with Raivo Peäske and composition with Mati Kuulberg. In 2000, Kosk graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music in composition as a student of Eino Tamberg. In the same year she continued master studies at the Estonian Academy of Music, studying musicology in University of Helsinki as a part of her studies. In 2001–2002, Kosk improved her skills in composition and electronic music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague as an exchange student of Erasmus (tutor Gilius van Bergeijk). Currently she is living in Italy.

Kosk has written mainly chamber music. Wider notoriety has gained Illumion (2001) for cello and tape, that can be found in the repertoire of Crash Ensemble (Ireland). Her most capacious work is chamber opera The Last Unicorn that was premiered at the Estonian Music Days Festival in 2000 (director Rene Nõmmik). From later works, Dancing Music (2004) for dancers, percussion and electronics and Haze on trees commisioned by Essen Philharmonie in 2008, can be pointed up.

Kosk’s music has been performed by cellist Aare Tammesalu, pianist Peep Lassmann, soprano Kaia Urb, guitarist Heiki Mätlik, TriOst, chamber choir Voces Musicales and others. Her works have been presented at the international new music festival Nyyd, Autumn Festival of the Estonian Academy of Music and Estonian Music Days Festival. At the competition for orchestral works of Autumn Festival of the Estonian Academy of Music, ODD for chamber orchestra shared the 1st prize (1999) and Something for piano and string orchestra was awarded the 2nd prize (2000).

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