PILLE LILL

is one of the most well known opera singers in Estonia today. Her journey as a musician started from the piano class at the Pärnu Children's Music School. Continuing her studies, she attended and graduated the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT) in music pedagogy (Prof. A. Vahter) and opera singing (Prof. R. Gurjev). She later obtained her M.A. degree from the Sibelius Academy in Finland (2003, Prof. L. Linko-Malmio) and M.A. diploma from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in UK (Prof. J. Peters). From 2004 to 2011 she continued her studies at the doctorate level at the EAMT with Prof. Jaakko Ryhänen and in 2006/07 with the Professors Hartmut Höll and Mitsuko Shirai in the lied class at the University of Music in Karlsruhe. She has also taken part in several masterclasses by distinguished musicians - Elisabeth Söderström, Irwin Gage, Emma Kirkby, Mauriz Sillem, Wilma Vernocchi etc. Over the years she has been awarded many prizes - Best Female Singer in Estonia (1996, 2002), the Wagner Society Scholarship (1998), the Bishop Platon III degree Distinguished Service Order (2005), the UNICEF Bluebird Award (2009) and the Estonian Cultural Endowment Award (2014). P. Lill has performed with numerous conductors, the most influential of which are N. Järvi, G. Rozdestvensky, C. F. Cillario, E. Klas, J. Storgårds, G. Rinkevicius, N. Aleksejev, A. Volmer, A. Tali, M. Kütson, A. Mustonen and O. Elts. Her opera repertoire includes over 30 operas - Donna Anna, Countess, Pamina (Mozart - Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Magic Flute), Agathe (Weber - Der Freischütz), Tosca, Mimi, Madama Butterfly (Puccini - Tosca, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly), Elisabetta, Desdemona, Elvira, Violetta, Aida, Amelia, Lady Macbeth (Verdi - Don Carlo, Otello, Ernani, La Traviata, Aida, Un ballo in Maschera, Macbeth), Lisa (Tchaikovsky - the Queen of Spades), Santuzza (Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana), Chrysothemis (Strauss - Elektra), Venus (Wagner - Tannhäuser) etc. P. Lill has been highly sought after also as an oratorio soloist (Mahler - 4. and 8. Symph.; Mozart, Dvořák, Verdi, Brahms – Requiems; Beethoven 9. Symph.; Tobias “Des Jona Sendung”; Shostakovich 14. Symph.; Sibelius „Kullervo“ etc.). She has premiered works by many contemporary composers (Sumera, Põldmäe, Kaumann, Pertmann, Andersson, Reinvere etc.) and her notable career as a chamber musician has taken her around the world. P. Lill has recorded numerous CD's - M. Sink “Christmas Songs” (PLMF 2006), A. Kapp “Organ- and Chamber Music” (Eres 2000), J. Torrim “Organ Music” (Antes 1997), L. Sumera “To Reach Yesterday” (Megadisc 2005), R. Tobias “Des Jona Sendung” (con. N. Järvi 1995 BIS, con. N. Järvi 2009 DVD, VAI). P. Lill is the founder and creative director of the Music Trust PLMF since 2003, which was launched to support talented musicians. She is also a sought after vocal teacher (from 1997 to 2013 at the EAMT, since 2003 as an associate professor) and gives many masterclasses each year.

 

VIRGO VELDI

is one of the most outstanding saxophonists in Estonia. He has graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (GOTMS, Lect. Villu Veski, Prof. Olavi Kasemaa, 1988) and from the Tallinn Conservatory (Prof. Olavi Kasemaa, 1993). He obtained his master’s degree at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT, Prof. Olavi Kasemaa, 1997) and from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Prof. Pekka Savijoki, 2004). In 1990, he was awarded with the 3rd Prize at the Estonian Wind Players Competition in Tallinn and in 1996, he won the 1st Prize and Audience’s Special Prize at the “Con Brio”, a competition for young musicians in Estonia. He has worked as saxophone teacher at the GOTMS and at the Sibelius High School in Helsinki. Since 2001 he is a teacher of the EAMT’s saxophone major (from 2012 an associate professor) and he has given numerous master classes in different European countries. V. Veldi has appeared as a saxophone soloist with Tallinn Music School String Orchestra, EAMT Symphony Orchestra, Estonian Radio Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra and he has taken part of Nyyd Ensemble’s projects. He has been invited to perform at several festivals (Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, Tallinn Winter Festival, Rapla Church Music Festival etc). V. Veldi has collaborated with such renowned conductors as Risto Joost, Lauri Sirp, Mikk Murdvee, Olari Elts, Vello Pähn, Jüri Alperten, Nikolai Alexeyev etc. and he has given numerous chamber concerts in Estonia and abroad. His ensemble partners have been Ralf Taal, Mati Mikalai, Kai Ratassepp, Piia Paemurru, Ivari Ilja, Tatjana Lepnurm, Ulla Krigul, Aare-Paul Lattik, Ines Maidre and many others. From 1999 to 2004 V. Veldi was a member and the artistic director of the saxophone quartet “SaxEst”.

 

ANDREAS LEND

is one of the most talented cellists in Estonia and will not leave any of his listeners indifferent to his performance. A. Lend started his musical studies in Tallinn Music High School (teacher Laine Leichter), received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (2008, 2010; Prof. Peeter Paemurru) and did additional studies in Finland at the Sibelius Academy (Prof. Hannu Kiiski and Heikki Pekkarinen 2005/2006). Furthermore A. Lend has participated in numerous master classes by many internationally recognized cellists (Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, Martin Ostertag, Jan-Erik Gustafsson, Niels Ullner, Marko Ylonen, Matias de Oliveira Pinto, Aleksander Ivashkin, Johannes Goritzki etc). A. Lend has won prizes in many competitions: 1st prize and Grand Prix at the International Contest-Festival "Renaissance" (Armenia, 2013), 1st prize at the ESTA Estonian National Competition of Young Violinists and Cellists (2004) and 3rd prize at the Augusts Dombrovskis International Competition in (Riga, Latvia; 2002). He was a laureate of the Estonian Young Performers Competition “Con Brio” (2008) and the International Cello Competition in Liezen, Austria (2000). In 2009 and 2010 A. Lend was awarded with the „International Holland Music Session” summer academy scholarship and the PLMF Music Trust Marje and Kuldar Sink award "Young Musician 2011”. In 2007 A. Lend was chosen to take part of the European Union Youth Orchestra (chief conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy) which he has performed with across Europe. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary, Russia, Canada, England, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Czech and he has been invited to Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, Rapla Church Music Festival, Järvi Summer Festival, Kuopio Historical Keyboards Festival in Finland, Festival de Valle d'Itria in Italy, Spectrum Festival in Slovenia etc. During the last few years he has cooperated with acknowledged Polish string quartet Lutoslawski Quartet and string orchestras Camerata Nordica (Sweden) and Sinfonia Cymru (Wales). From 2004-2014 he was a member of the C-JAM cello quartet. Between 2006-2016 A. Lend was working as a cellist in the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and from 2016 he is in Estonian National Opera Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is a part of Prezioso String Quartet and Estonian Cello Ensemble and he is active as a soloist and a chamber musician in many other musical groups. In 2017, he will have concerts in Estonia, Russia, Turkey and Czech.

 

JAAK LUTSOJA

has graduated as an accordionist from Tallinn Lilleküla High School music class and from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School. He is active as a freelance musician since 1997 and has for many years also taught at Saue Music School, at the Heino Eller Tartu Music School and at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. He has performed as a soloist and as a member of several prominent ensembles. In addition to giving concerts all over Europe, Jaak Lutsoja has performed in the United States and Russia with a very wide repertoire from a variety of genres expanding from pop-jazz to classical and contemporary music. Jaak Lutsoja has performed together with musicians such as Kersti Ala-Murr, Leho Karin, Tõnu Jõesaar, Oleg Pissarenko, Erkki Otsman, Siiri Sisask, Silvi Vrait, Tõnis Mägi, Jaak Jürisson, Hedvig Hanson, Ardo Ran Varres, and also with the chamber choir Revalia, an accordion trio comprised of himself, Henn Rebane and Allan Jakobi, ensembles Noorkuu, Karavan etc. Jaak Lutsoja has performed at many international music festivals and concert projects (Saksofon versus Saksofon, 2008 Kumu) and opera productions (Tõnis Kaumann/Leelo Tungal Lopi ja Lapi, 2008 Türi Spring Festival; Mari Vihmand Armastuse valem, 2008 Estonian National Opera; W. A. Mozart The Magic Flute, Nukuteater; dance production Carrrmen, 2012 Vanemuine Theatre). Jaak Lutsoja was the headliner at the festival Visioon 2010 with a programme of his own compositions. The same year his first solo recording Contrarian Grooving was published, comprising entirely of original creations. The album has twice been nominated as the European Jazz Radio Album of the Week. In cooperation with the soprano Kersti Ala-Murr and the New Music Quartet he has also published an album Vaikimine oleks vale (2010) and together with the Jaak Lutsoja Quintet the album Adiós Nonino (2013). In 2013 Jaak Lutsoja established the Accordion Club which was created for furthering the possibilities of playing the accordion.