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Armas Maiste and friends perform classical music and jazz in Ottawa

Details: Friday, 26 October 2012 12:13; Tõnu Onu - Estonian Life No. 43 2012

Armas Maiste and Margit Viia-MaisteArmas Maiste is alive and well and living in Ottawa and playing piano with his friends. For the benefit of the few music lovers who don't know Armas, we might mention that he studied music in his native Estonia, Sweden and Canada and for many years was the principal pianist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens of Montreal.

Trio Estonia: Some thoughts

Details: Friday, 12 October 2012 22:03; Norman Illis Reintamm - Estonian Life No. 41 2012

From left: Arvo Leibur, violin; Norman Reintamm, piano; Aare Tammesalu, cello. Photo: Jaan Kiiv, taken at the Estonian National Opera.More often than not, I tell the musicians that play in my orchestra that one always needs to think like a chamber musician when playing symphonic music. Oddly enough, playing the piano with colleagues in a
small setting is one of the most enjoyable forms of music making, in which I participate. When I am in front of a large ensemble, I describe it as driving a large boat. When playing with a small group
of musicians, it is like driving a high performance sports car. One's senses and reaction times have to be so "in-tune" that all of the musicians in the group can almost sense what is going to happen before
it even starts to happen!

When I’m not conducting the Estonia Choir

Details: Friday, 14 September 2012 13:54; Sam Barton - Estonian Life No. 37 2012

The Vatican City team including Kristina Agur – far left and Sam Barton – far right.Summer can be an exciting time for a professional musician; one is thrust outside of the routine of regular rehearsals and concerts, and one finds themselves involved in rather interesting projects. While a number of Estonian events usually take place in these warmer months, this summer was a quieter time for song festivals allowing Estonia Choir members to engage in other pursuits.

I had a sizable number of projects, most notably one taking place in my homeland of the UK. For the past few years I have been taking part in a concept known as 'music camp', not like 'camp' in the North American sense, where children and teenagers go out into the woods, sleep in cabins, and partake in a variety of activities; but instead, a place where professional and amateur musicians get together to play music to each other at a high standard.

Ottawa Chamber Music festival

Details: Saturday, 04 August 2012 01:09; Ülle Baum - Estonian Life No. 31 2012

Estonian Handbell Ensemble ARSIS and Rémi Boucher. Photo: Ülle Baum. Estonian Handbell Ensemble ARSIS with Soloist Rémi Boucher ( Guitar , Canada) performed with great success at the Ottawa Chamber Music festival on Friday afternoon July 27th at Church of St. John the Evangelist. Estonian Embassy was one of the proud sponsors of their tour.

On Saturday, July 28th, the Estonian Handbell Ensemble ARSIS enjoyed the tour of the Canadian Parliament organized by Embassy of Estonia.
First row from left: Members of the Estonian Handbell Ensemble ARSIS - Mart Schifrin;Indrek Jürimets; Tiina Kodumäe, Manager; Rémi Boucher, Canadian guitarist and soloist;Aivar Mäe, founder and leader of ensemble,
Back row from left: Paul Laanemets, Policy and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor at the Office of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, who presented the tour;Margus Bubert ;
Heli Kask; Marge Saarela ja Lemme-Liis Elp.

Ülle Baum

Class of 1943: Remember us when we are gone

Details: Thursday, 05 July 2012 23:53; Tõnu Naelapea - Estonian Life No. 27 2012

Class of 1943. Photo: www.exitfilm.eeAmsterdam based Helga Merits is a documentary filmmaker who has turned to the refugee/expatriate community in the past for help with her projects. For the last decade or more she has been focusing on her father's generation. Paul Meerits was a member of the class of 1943 at the Tartu Poeglaste Gümnaasium, graduating at a tumultuous time in Estonia's history.

Merits' latest film, Klassikaaslased 1943 aastast – unustatud mälestused had its première on June 5th in Tallinn. As it is intended to also reach the English speaking audience to educate that large number the movie is subtitled. And as documentaries usually do not have the long runs at theatres that feature films do, this project, completed with Tallinn's Exitfilm, will soon be available on DVD, where the viewer will have a choice of seeing either the English language or Estonian language version, both subtitled as necessary. The English language version is titled Class of 19434: Remember us when we're gone.

One of the first DVDs produced reached my desk recently and in the process of introducing the project I would also like to extend the filmmaker's thanks to Eesti Elu readers who have over the years provided her with additional information to complete her own research and archival material.

ROSENKAVALIER BROUGHT TO STAGE BY THE CATHEDRAL BLUFFS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF TORONTO

Details: Sunday, 17 June 2012 11:34; Norman-Illis Reintamm

Norman-Illis ReintammMAY 26, 2012
P.C. HO THEATRE
TORONTO

Rosenkavalier is a quintessential piece of music, which in many musicians' eyes is the pinnacle of music making.

Norman Reintamm (Conductor of the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra in Toronto), together with Helga Tucker (a leading singing teacher in Toronto) mused about the possibility of doing a concert performance of this work a couple of years ago. Norman and Helga (working very closely within the context of an informal "opera studio" under the auspices of the C.B.S.O.) realized that they had all of the elements in place to put Rosenkavalier on stage.

An interesting background and many highlights on concert-tour of Tartu choir

Details: Sunday, 03 June 2012 17:47; Andres Raudsepp - Eesti Elu Nr. 22 2012

One of the memorable moments in Canada. The morning prior to their concert-performance in Ottawa found the University of Tartu Academic Female Choir on Parliament Hill. After an hour-long visit and walking tour through the halls of democracy with Government House Leader Peter Van Loan, the visiting group gathered in front of Centre Block and the Peace Tower for this rare photo. Front and centre: the Hon Peter Van Loan. Behind the MP (centre left) conductor Triin Koch. In the group are Paul and Kristjan Läänemets, assistants to Mr. Van Loan. Accompanying the choir to Ottawa as administrative staff for tour co-ordinator: musicians from Toronto Kristina Agur and Riho Maimets. Photo: Andres RaudseppQuite a lot has been written about the events that made up the concert-tour of the University of Tartu Academic Female Choir in Toronto and Ottawa.
Last week's Eesti Elu carried three reports, each by a different writer, none of whom being the local promoter-organizer.

While the public appearances in concert-mode during the two-week period totalled seven, there was singing practically every day. Before leaving for the airport for the return trip to Eesti, the choir sang for their hosts in the Tartu College buffeteria. The night before, the choir sang for their conductor Triin Koch who felt she did not need to conduct at that point. Even the Parliament buildings in Ottawa reverberated to the beauty of the choir's uniform tone.

We might repeat the main events. The principal concert at Trinity-United with lights and staging, an amazing movement-folkmusic performance at Esto House, an emotion-charged encounter with seniors at Ehatare, singing for two congregations on a Sunday, a half-hour concert performance at Knox Presbyterian in Ottawa and a heart-felt farewell in Seedrioru that truly was a concert as well.

The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature

Details: Sunday, 13 May 2012 21:09; Andres Gutman

The Dedalus Book of Estonian LiteratureEdited by Jan Kaus and translated by Eric Dickens

It's only a million people who speak Estonian and that gives rise to a question – where lies the minimum for a people to generate a full-fledged literature? We can't say, although; this book tells us that it's somewhere below the million mark.

Dedalus offers us a cross-section of Estonian fiction, spanning a bit more than the 20th century in three distinct periods – the golden period ending with World War II; the grey period of the Soviet Censor; and the two-toned green period of Estonian re-independence: that's green as in currently trendy and green, as in a bad hangover.

In the anglosphere, fluency in a second language is the exception. Elsewhere, its the rule. Among Estonians, fluency in several languages is the norm and this has shaped our literature into something instantly recognizable as a compatible entrée for a European cultural banquet.

Anton Tammsaare, the great novelist of the golden period, was a prolific translator – of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Joseph Conrad, Oscar Wilde, and many others.

Triin Koch, conductor of the University of Tartu Academic Female Choir

Details: Sunday, 06 May 2012 22:48; Andres Raudsepp

Triin Koch - Photo by TÜAN archive"She adds a wondrous dimension to my compositions."
Thus speaks one of Estonia's best-known composers about Triin Koch, conductor of the University of Tartu Academic Female Choir which is coming to Toronto and Ottawa this merry month of May.

Triin and the university choir will be arriving in Toronto May 7 and, after a number of preliminary engagements, will be performing at Estonian House May 12 and Trinity-St. Paul's United on May 15.

Triin Koch is currently considered as one of Estonia's most talented choral conductors, whose interpretations of Estonian and international musical works have delighted, even excited, juries and audiences alike.

Behind the scenes at the VEMU Dinner

Details: Saturday, 28 April 2012 02:13; Kristina Lupp

VEMU fundraising dinner. Photo by Taavi TamtikLast Friday's VEMU fundraising dinner was a huge success. Inga Paenurm, executive chef to the President of Estonia pulled it off without a hitch, serving traditional Estonian flavours with a modern twist. Kilu trüffel anyone?

Plans started taking shape two years ago when Aino Müllerbeck suggested bringing Inga to Toronto after reading an article about her in an Estonian paper. She had just been with the President visiting the King of Sweden to prepare a special luncheon. After that, emails started flying back and forth, and before we knew it, Inga and I were sitting on a plane en route to Toronto.

Upcoming events

TEAS Ööbik SIMMAREE Sat. 25 May, 2013 (18:00)
Tartlaste Seltsi ja Harjumaa-Tallinn koondise PEREKONDLIK KOOSVIIBIMINE T... Mon. 3 Jun, 2013 (13:00)
50 AASTAT KOGUDUSE OMA KIRIKUT - Baptistikirikus Sat. 8 Jun, 2013 (18:00)
Baptisti koguduse 50. aastapäeva JUMALATEENISTUS Sun. 9 Jun, 2013 (11:00)
STEPHEN BELL „SOOLOLAULUDE KONTSERT" Toronto Eesti Majas Sun. 9 Jun, 2013 (15:00)
SEEDRIORU VII LAULUPÄEV Sat. 22 Jun, 2013 (15:00)
TIMMASE STUUDIO KUNSTILAAGER Jõekäärul Mon. 1 Jul, 2013 (8:00 - 9:00)
JÕEKÄÄRU LASTE SUVEKODU Sun. 7 Jul, 2013 (9:00)
SEEDRIORU LASTE SUVEKODU Sun. 7 Jul, 2013 (9:00)
Seedrioru Suvekodu MASKERAAD Sat. 13 Jul, 2013 (8:00)
Seedrioru Suvekodu VALGUSPIDU Sat. 20 Jul, 2013 (20:00)
Seedrioru Suvekodu SUURLÕKE Sat. 27 Jul, 2013 (20:00)
Seedrioru Suvekodu TANTS Fri. 2 Aug, 2013 (16:00)
JK KALEVI VÕRKPALLILAAGER Mon. 5 Aug, 2013 (9:00)

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