Tallinn Piano Duo

Tallinn Piano Duo, consisting pianists Nata-Ly Sakkos and Toivo Peäske, was founded in 1974 at Leningrad Conservatory (St. Petersburg Conservatory) where both musicians were improving their skills in chamber music at the postgraduate level with Tamara Fidler. Their first performance took place on January 9 in 1975 at the Hall of Leningrad Conservatory. First concert in Estonia was held on December 2 in the same year at Estonia Concert Hall in Tallinn.

Both pianists graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory, Nata-Ly Sakkos under the guidance of Professor Laine Mets and Toive Peäske with Professor Anna Klas and Ada Kuuseoks.

Tallinn Piano Duo has given numerous concerts in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, England and several cities of former Soviet Union, appearing such prestigious concert venues like St. Petersburg Philharmonia’s Great Hall and Small Hall, Moscow Conservatory’s Rachmaninov Hall and Small Hall, Stockholm Concert Hall (Konserthuset), Kings Place in London and others. Duo has performed with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Ural Philharmonic Orchestra (in Yekaterinburg) and Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with conductors Eri Klas, Kurt Wöss (Austria), Andrei Boreiko (Russia), Arvo Volmer, Toomas Vavilov and others. Duo has also given concerts with Moscow Piano Duo (Jelena Sorokina – Alexander Bakhchiev) in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Tallinn. Recent years, Sakkos and Peäske has participated in the work of Estonian Piano Orchestra, founded in 2002.

Tallinn Piano Duo has participated in Baltic Festival in Stockholm, Estonian Cultural Days in Karlsruhe, Jyväskylä Summer Festival, festivals Nyyd and Piano in Tallinn and festivals in Russia (Yekaterinburg, Novosibrisk, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod), Georgia (Tbilisi), Lithuania (Šiauliai) and elswehere. In 2000, duo organised Piano Duos Festival Tallinn 2000.

The repertoire of Tallinn Piano Duo comprises significant works for two pianos and music for four hands. Almost 70 new pieces by Estonian composers have been premiered, including composers Jaan Rääts, Lepo Sumera, Raimo Kangro, Alo Põldmäe, Jüri Tamverk, Mati Kuulberg and others.

Tallinn Piano Duo has recorded music for Estonian Radio, CD of works by Urmas Sisask („Galaxies“, edition 49, ERP 2002) and their playing can be heard on many compilation and author-CDs (CD „Jaan Rääts“, Antes edition (1996), CD „Mati Kuulberg. Ein musikalisches Porträit – A musical portrait“, Antes edition (1997), CD „Timo Steiner. The Clouds Will Disturb“, ERR (2008), CD „Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakademia 90“, EMTA (2009)).

Tallinn Piano Duo has been awarded many special prizes at different festivals, has received year scholarship of Cultural Endowment of Estonia twice, the annual Estonian Music Prize (1990) and the annual prize of Estonian Music Council (2015). In 2001, both pianists Nata-Ly Sakkos and Toivo Peäske were awarded Medal of the White Star.

© EMIK 2015

EMIKi koduleheküljel olevad tekstid on kaitstud autoriõiguse seadusega. Tekste võib kasutada mittekommertsiaalsetel eesmärkidel koos viitega autorile (kui on märgitud) ja allikale (Eesti Muusika Infokeskus).