Music News

The Program for Baltic & Estonian Music Days 2024 "Umwelt" Revealed

Estonia’s largest festival of premieres – Estonian Music Days – will be held entirely in Tartu, the European Capital of Culture. For 2024, the significant showcase of contemporary local music will extend its reach to include new compositions from Latvia and Lithuania, under the expanded title Baltic & Estonian Music Days. The theme of this year’s festival is "Umwelt", the artistic directors are Märt-Matis Lill, Helena Tulve and Timo Steiner.

The concert "Currents" in the Arvo Pärt Centre will feature several premieres

On Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m., several works will be premiered at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa. Performers are Monika Mattiesen (flutes) and Michael Wendeberg (piano, Germany).

Arvo Pärt’s music will sound for four days in Dortmund, Germany

From 15 to 18 February, the festival “Zeitinsel Arvo Pärt”, dedicated to Arvo Pärt’s oeuvre, will take place at the Dortmund Concert Hall. During the festival, visitors can explore an exhibition curated by the Arvo Pärt Centre and participate in a discussion on themes around Pärt and his work.

Marianna Liik Represents Estonia at the World New Music Days in Faroe Islands

This year, a committee consisting of international experts chose Marianna Liik to represent Estonia in the Faroe Islands with the work "Out of Breath" (2018) for violin, cello and electronics at the World New Music Days festival organized by the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM).

The New Year’s Eve Concert „Alpine Voices“

The New Year’s Eve concerts of Estonian Sinfonietta will take place on December 28th at 7 pm in Tallinn House of Blackheads and on December 29th at 7 pm in Viljandi Traditional Music Center. The audience can enjoy merry pieces by Leopold and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Zimmermann.

Estonian Festival Orchestra’s Third European Tour

This January Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra return to home base in Pärnu on the Baltic Coast to prepare for their third European tour which takes them to Tallinn, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Zürich, Vienna and Munich from 16 to 25 January. With different programmes featuring works by Pärt, Silvestrov, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky, the orchestra is also joined by soloists Sol Gabetta and Maximilian Hornung for performances of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

Estonian Sinfonietta presents CD „Kuma” with instrumental pieces by Pärt Uusberg

On December 9th at 5 p.m., the Christmas time concert of Estonian Sinfonietta will take place in White Hall of Tallinn House of the Blackheads. At this concert the brand new CD „Glow” with instrumental music of Pärt Uusberg will be presented.

Contemporary music festival „Afekt“ focuses on the idea of a border state

On October 25, the XXII international contemporary music festival „Afekt“ will start, which this year will take place in Tartu, Tallinn and Narva. With the theme „Border State“, this year the focus is on the idea of a border state both geographically and as a musical expression, ideas taken to the uttermost extremes. The focus will be on internationally acclaimed composers such as Helena Tulve, Jānis Petraškevičs and György Ligeti, who has the 100th birth anniversary this year

Estonian Sinfonietta opens its season

The Estonian Sinfonietta will open its season with concert „Chimes“ on October 22 at 5 p.m. in Tallinn House of the Blackheads. Alongside works of Veljo Tormis, Jaan Rääts and Arvo Pärt, Jaakko Kuusisto's magical Cello Concerto will be performed for the first time in Estonia by Jan-Erik Gustafsson.

Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Voted Gramophone Orchestra Of The Year

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen has been named Gramophone Orchestra of the Year at this year’s prestigious awards ceremony in London. In the only award to be voted by the public, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen claimed by far the majority of votes, outstripping fellow nominees, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris.