16.3.2025 | Culture

Music by three great composers at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Rene Jakobson, Kaupo Kikkas, Press material

On Sunday, 16 March, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Grand Concert Hall will host a concert consisting of works by three great composers: Arvo Pärt, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Jean Sibelius. The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Symphony Orchestra (EMTA) will perform under the baton of its conductor, Toomas Vavilov. The soloist in the concert will be violinist and academy student Elbe Reiter.

The concert will begin with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s “Symphony No. 1 Polyphonic Op. 9”. The composer celebrates his 90th birthday this year. Next, Russian master Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D major Op. 35” will be heard. The evening will end with Finnish national composer Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43”.

Violinist Elbe Reiter graduated from Tallinn Music High School in 2022 and continued her studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She is currently studying at the Lübeck University of Music through the Erasmus+ programme.

Conductor Toomas Vavilov is a Professor of Clarinet at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and one of the conductors of the symphony orchestra. He was awarded the Estonian Cultural Foundation’s Music Art Prize in 2001, and the Performing Artist’s Annual Grant in 2005. Many Estonian composers, such as Urmas Sisask, Eino Tamberg, Ester Mägi, René Eespere, and Raimo Kangro, have composed works for him. Vavilov has also recorded music for Estonian Radio, and his music appears on several CDs.

The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre’s Symphony Orchestra is composed of students from the academy, and performs approximately seven concert programmes per season. In addition, the orchestra members gain valuable experience by regularly working with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO).

The concert starts on Sunday, 16 March at 19:00. Tickets for the concert can be purchased from Piletikeskus here, in Estonian.