Märjamaa Church
4.07 at 7 p.m.
STRING QUARTET CAMERATA MUSICA
Sigrid Kuulmann (violin),
Fred Heinoja (violin),
Johanna Vahermägi (viola),
Andreas Lend (cello)
Programme: Verdi, Eller, Kõrvits etc.
SIGRID KUULMANN has graduated from the Tallinn Music High School and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Tiiu Peäske). She has furthered her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf (prof. Rosa Fain). She has obtained a doctoral degree in music interpretation (2014, prof. Mari Tampere-Bezrodny) at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT), where she also works as a lecturer. Her playing has been guided by professors I. Bezrodny, D. Sitkovetsky, M. Martin, P. Vernikov, Y. Neaman, J. Gerretz and her studies have been supported by the Corporation of London, British Council Baltic States, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, and the Estonian Cultural Endowment. Kuulmann is a laureate-prize winner of the international Heino Eller Violin Competition and several other competitions. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in many European countries, the Middle East, and South America. She has received special recognition for her performances of Estonian composers, especially Tubin's works. For the first time in Estonia, she has performed Lutosławski's Partita, Berio's Sequenza VIII, Virkhaus's Violin Concerto No. 2, Bizet-Waxman's "Carmen Fantasy," and other works. Kuulmann has made recordings for the Estonian Public Broadcasting, including Sibelius's Violin Concerto with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. In cooperation with ERR and Estonian Record Productions, she has released CDs featuring both classical-romantic programs and Tubin's violin music. Kuulmann is a founding member of Trio Hemeīs, established in 2012, and a recipient of the PLMF Musician's Fund scholarship.
JOHANNA VAHERMÄGI is an Estonian-born violist, currently working as an international freelance musician, playing concerts as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player both home and abroad as well as holding a teaching position for viola and chamber music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She obtained her bachelor’s degree with Prof. Avri Levitan at the Aragón Higher Conservatory of Music in Spain and master’s degree at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in the class of Prof. Roi Shiloah for viola and Prof. Zvi Plesser for chamber music. She was awarded 1st prize in Spain at the international competition for soloists “Illa de Menorca FIDAH” (2011) as well as at the David Gritz String Competition in Jerusalem (2015). She has been regularly invited to perform at festivals such as the “Voice of Music” Chamber Music Festival in Israel, Musethica Chamber Music Festival in Zaragoza and Tel Aviv, Berlin Music Festival, Pärnu Music Festival, Nargen Festival, Arvo Pärt Festivals in Estonia and Moscow, etc, and collaborated with musicians such as Guy Braunstein, Amihai Grosz, Nicolas Chumachenko, Sharon Roffmann, Roi Shiloah, Marina Chiche, Zvi Plesser, Ohad Ben Ari, David Apellániz, Gerard Poulet, Ivari Ilja, Riivo Kallasmaa, Anna Staskiewicz, etc. Johanna has played in the Barcelona Liceu Opera Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, Estonian Festival Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, among other orchestras and recorded the music of Pärt, Shostakovich, Luis de Pablo and others with Vox Clamantis, Estonian Festival Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, contemporary music group Ensemble Plural, Kristjan Järvi, and others. In recent years she was one of the featured artists at the Jerusalem Music Centre’s “Young Artists” program and gave recitals in Jerusalem and Estonia as well as at the “Young Estonian Soloists” showcase concert at the Pärnu Music Festival; toured Italy as a soloist in Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante” with the Young European Chamber Orchestra and maestro Paolo Olmi. In 2017 she was awarded the national award from the Estonian Cultural Endowment for outstanding artistic activities. Vahermägi plays on an instrument made by Thomas Urquhart in 1650, kindly on loan to her from the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments.
ANDREAS LEND began his music studies at the Tallinn Music High School, obtained a bachelor's and master's degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and furthered his studies at the Sibelius Academy in Finland. Lend has participated in masterclasses with internationally renowned cellists such as Frans Helmerson, David Geringas, and Maria Kliegel, among others. He has received awards in several competitions, including the 1st Prize and Grand Prix at the "Renaissance" International Competition-Festival in Armenia (2013), and the 1st Prize at the ESTA Estonian National Young Violinists and Cellists Competition (2004), among others. In 2007, he was selected to join the European Union Youth Orchestra, with which he has performed throughout Europe. As a soloist and ensemble member, he has performed in various countries including Denmark, Germany, Italy, and has been invited to the Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, the Kuopio Historical Keyboard Festival in Finland, the Valle d'Itria Festival in Italy, among others. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Symphony Orchestra of the Estonian National Opera. In addition, he is involved in the work of the Prezioso String Quartet, Trio Hemeīs, and the Estonian Cello Ensemble, and actively performs as a soloist and chamber musician in many other ensembles. Andreas Lend is a scholarship recipient of the PLMF Musician's Fund.