The XVIII Tallinn Chamber Music Festival will bring unique sounds this August

Grégoire Blanc and Hans Christian Aavik.

During the XVIII Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, which will take place from August 21 to 28, eight different themed concerts will be presented to the public. Combining rare instruments such as the theremin and waterphone with familiar instruments creating a unique atmosphere. The theme of this year’s festival is “Helimaagia”, which translates as the ‘sound of magic’

Grégoire Blanc, performing for the first time in Estonia, is currently one of the world’s most respected theremin players. His performance of Debussy has been viewed almost five million times on YouTube.

At the gala concert, Grégoire Blanc and the festival’s chamber orchestra will perform Galina Grigorjeva’s piece “Prayer”. This is the first time in the Baltics that a rare instrument is played together with an orchestra.

Other top performers will be heard at the festival. Finnish pianist Henri Sigfridsson, violinist Hans Christian Aavik and recently internationally awarded cellist Marcel Johannes Kits will play at the event. There will also be respected wind instrument players, such as flautist Heili Rosin and bassoon player Etienne Boudreault from Canada.

“When I planned this year’s festival, I wanted to offer the listeners a program that takes their thoughts away from the everyday life around us. The word ‘magic’ had a special meaning, but when it comes to a suggestive sound piece, an inspiring performer or a special concert atmosphere, the magic of a note can be born,” says the festival’s artistic director Maano Männi.

At the opening concert of the chamber music festival “French Colours” at the Mustpeade Maja on August 21, the audience will be able to hear the singing of the young mezzo-soprano Tuuri Dede, who has appeared on international stages.

On August 22, the “Cesar Franck – 100% pure adrenalin” concert will feature the romantic composer’s beloved works.

On August 23, “Festivali salon” offers an atmosphere from both the past and the present.

On August 24th at St. Michael’s Church, the late-night candlelight concert “Meditation” will be the premiere of the festival’s commissioned work, Galina Grigorjeva’s “Fata morgana” for waterphone and two cellos.

Then on August 25th the concert “Aegade felst”, which translates as ‘From the end of time’, will take place. The concert will feature Messiaen’s “End of the Ages Quartet”, performed by one of Estonia’s most prestigious chamber ensembles, Trio’95, and Spanish clarinettist Eneko Iriarte.

“Folk in Classic” on August 26 will bring listeners exciting soundscapes of classics, indigenous folklore and village milieu.

There will be a family concert at Hopneri Maja on August 27. The author of the open-minded program is pianist Marite Männi.

At the “Helimaagia” gala concert on August 28, the festival audience will be able to listen to a magical instrument. Grégoire Blanc plays the theremin in St. John’s church (Jaani kirik) and Hans Christian Aavik will play the violin. The soloists are accompanied by the festival’s chamber orchestra. The artistic director of the festival is violinist Maano Männi.

The Tallinn Chamber Music Festival also remembers Ukraine. In the “Folk classics” concert, the principal violinist of the Kyiv Mozart Orchestra, Olga Sheleshkova, performs Miroslav Skoryku’s “Carpathian Rhapsody”. In the “Aegade felst” concert, Trio’95 will perform the piece “Fugitive visions of Mozart” by the Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov.

More information about the concerts can be found on the festival’s website (in English).  

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Chamber Music Grégoire Blanc Henri Sigfridsson Hopneri Maja Live Music Maano Männi Mustpeade Maja Tallinn Chamber Music Festival