Mihkel Kerem

b. January 23, 1981, Tallinn
Member of the Estonian Composers' Union since 2007

Composer and violinist Mihkel Kerem’s oeuvre consists of more than 100 works. Although he has composed orchestral music (e. g. eight symphonies) and instrumental concertos, the chamber music, where the violin occupies the central position, dominates in Kerem’s output (10 string quartets, 3 sonatas for violin and piano, 6 sonatinas for violin solo etc).

Mihkel Kerem’s music has been performed by Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Oulu Sinfonia (Finland) and chamber orchestra Camerata Nordica (Sweden), also ensembles The Chilingirian Quartet (England), Kerem Quartet and many outstanding performers like Mikk Murdvee, Sten Lassmann and Silver Ainomäe. He has been the Composer in Residence at Schleswig Holstein Music Festival in Germany (2001) and Aurora Chamber Music Festival in Sweden (2009).

Mihkel Kerem graduated from the violin class of his mother Mirjam Kerem and composition class of Mati Kuulberg at the Tallinn Music High School in 1999. He continued his studies in both violin with Mirjam Kerem and composition with Prof. Jaan Rääts at the Estonian Academy of Music, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2003. In 2002–2004, Kerem improved his skills under the supervision of Levon Chilingirian and William Mival at the Royal Music College in London, obtaining a master’s degree in 2006. Since the autumn of 2002, Mihkel Kerem lives in London.

During his studies, Kerem achieved recognition as a violinist at many competitions: diplomas from the International B. Dvarionas Competition for Young Pianists and Violinists in Lithuania (1992) and Jan Kocian Competition in Czechoslovakia (1993) and the first prize at the Estonian Competition for Young String Players (1995).

In 2001–2002, Kerem held a post of the second concert master of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and has been since then a guest concert master. In 2006, he was the concert master of Southbank Sinfonia. Since 2006, Kerem is working as the concert master at the Charities Philharmonia and since 2007, at the Brandenburg Sinfonia. He is also a member of chamber orchestra Camerata Nordica (Sweden) and orchestra London Musical Arts. In 1995–2002, Kerem was the first violinist of Kerem Quartet in Estonia and 2002–2007 in England, he has also played in Tobias String Quartet.

As a soloist, Kerem has appeared with many orchestras including Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Opera Symphony Orchestra, Brandenburg Sinfonia and Southbank Sinfonia. His repertoire consists of wide range of chamber music and also violin concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Max Bruch, Camille Saint-Saëns, Henri Vieuxtemps, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Mihailo Trandafilovski. As a recitalist he has performed in Estonia, Finland, Austria, Germany, Latvia and England.

Mihkel Kerem's homepage: http://mihkelkerem.com/

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