A concert of Estonian National Male Choir

08.10.2012

Concert of the Estonian National Male Choir

On October, 7 the only Moscow concert of the Estonian National Male Choir took place in “Helikon-opera”.

Estonian National Male Choir (RAM) was established in 1944 by coryphaeus of Estonian choral music Gustav Ernesaks. Starting out as a male choir, performing music a cappella, RAM later grew into a professional choir, which now is most famous for its interpretations of large-scale works (cantatas, oratorios). Today it is one of the most professional choirs in the world.

For a long time the Estonian National Male Choir was directed by conductors Olev Oja, Kuno Areng, Ants Üleoja, Uno Järvela, Harald Uibo, Ants Soots and Kaspars Putninsh from Latvia. From the season 2011/2012 Mikk Üleoja is an artistic director and chief conductor of the Estonian National Male Choir.

The repertoire of the choir is extremely versatile: it includes both the music of the Renaissance, as well as works by contemporary composers. Along with Estonian composers wrote works for choir such famous composers as Shostakovich, Otar Taktakishvili, Gavin Brayers and Giovanni Bonato.

Estonian National Male Choir performed more than 6,000 concerts in Estonia, and has performed in major cities of the Soviet Union, Western Europe, Israel, Canada and the USA.

Over the last 5 years Estonian National Male Choir has recorded 12 CD-s for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Virgin, Finlandia, CCn'C, Forte, Alba, GB Records and other record labels, including "My Country - My Love" (Ernesaks), «Silva Caledonia» (Brayers, Tulev), "Song of flames" (Sink, Lepic, Marguste) and "My own island" (selection of works by Estonian composers ages 19-20).

In a cooperative project with Conductor Paavo Jarvi, The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), the Estonian girls Choir "Ellerhein", and The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM), won a Grammy Award in 2004 in the category of "Best Choral Performance" for their recording of Sibelius' Cantatas (Virgin Classics, 2003). A year later their recording of Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" (recorded by the same line-up) was voted the orchestral album of the year in BBC Music Magazine.

At present, the choir consists of 49 singers. During the season, the choir gives 40-50 concerts a cappella and 5-6 large format performances. Choir cooperates with 15 foreign conductors.

The current chief conductor of the choir Mikk Üleoja graduated Estonian Academy of Music with a degree Master of Music. Mikk Üleoja sang during the World Youth Choir, Estonian National Male Choir and the Chamber Choir of the Estonian Philharmonic. He conducted a boys' choir of the church of St. Michael, the chamber choir «Mattone», and also taught at Viljandi Culture Academy course of conducting. Mikk Yuleoya was chief conductor of the Concert Choir Kaarliskoy church in Tallinn and choirmaster of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, and participated in the ensemble singing Gregorian «Vox Clamantis».

In the concert program, performed at "Helikon-Opera" on October 7, the works by Cyrillus Kreek, Andres Lembo, Giovanni Bonato, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Galina Grigorieva, Veljo Tormis were sang.

Audience warmly received the performance.

A piece of National Male Choir performance
Bows after the concert
Bows after the concert. Mikk Üleoja is at the foreground
Dmitry Bertman sees the Estonian artists off.
	Dmitry Bertman says thanks to Mikk Üleoja

Photos by Philipp Travkov