Events

Subscription ticket prices:

€ 360.00 / € 325.00 / € 290.00

 

Subscription ticket prices:

€ 110.00 (9 concerts)

€ 60.00 (5 concerts of subscriber's choice)

€ 45.00 (3 concerts by one ensemble)

 

 

Mikk Üleoja, Conductor

 

Arvo Pärt: De profundis

Francis Poulenc: Four Little Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi

Justė Janulytė: Now I'm Nowhere

Arvo Pärt: The Deer's Cry

Vladimir Agopov: Da pacem Domine

Max Reger: Ten Songs for Male Choir, Op. 83

The largest professional male choir in the world, the Estonian National Male Choir, is one of the world's most interesting musical ensembles. Its long tradition dates back eight decades, to 1944, when it was founded by the legendary conductor Gustav Ernesaks. Since then, the choir has been dedicated to fostering choral music, but also to much more than that – the Estonian National Male Choir contributed to the preservation of Estonian national identity and language under the rule of the Soviet Union. It was the foundation of the so-called singing revolution, the mass gatherings at which resistance to the Soviet Union was expressed non-violently, through choral singing, and ultimately independence was won.

 

For decades, the choir has also shaped Estonia’s international reputation as a country with a rich choral-singing heritage, having given more than seven thousand concerts to date, from Estonia through North America to Asia, and collaborated with some of the most distinguished conductors, including Paul Hillier, Eric Ericson, Kaspars Putniņš, Teodor Currentzis and Kent Nagano.  

 

Under the direction of chief conductor Mikk Üleoja – an experienced choral conductor with extensive singing experience, who also led a number of choirs – the Estonian National Male Choir actively fosters contemporary music, commissioning new works. Its 46 permanent members also collaborate with various orchestras and festivals, singing a variety of programmes, from Renaissance to contemporary music. They have recorded numerous albums and won a Grammy Award (2004).

 

The concert programme offers a palette of spectacular sonic situations, leading the audience through various styles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Arvo Pärt's music brings a distinctive meditative simplicity and deep spirituality (De profundis, The Deer's Cry), while Francis Poulenc conveys intimate devotion through warm harmony in Four Little Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi. The contemporary sound of Justė Janulytė (Now I'm Nowhere) leads the choir to search for new dimensions of vocal texture, and Vladimir Agopov brings a powerful, contemplative appeal for peace in Da pacem.  The programme is rounded off with Max Reger and his Ten Songs, Op. 83, which are among the highlights of the rich late Romantic tradition, immersed in the centuries-old heritage of vocal polyphony.

 

Performing an impressive programme that highlights the range of expressiveness – from deep spirituality to contemporary soundscapes – the Estonian National Male Choir presents a powerful and nuanced sound, reviving the rich heritage of male choral singing by creating fresh, contemporary musical experiences that captivate audiences around the world.

 

Zrinka Matić