Rapla Church
09.07 at 7 p.m.
PÄRT UUSBERG’S COMPOSER NIGHT
ESTONIAN SINFONIETTA, leader Peeter Margus
ESTONIAN PERCUSSION QUARTET:
Karl Johann Lattikas, Tanel-Eiko Novikov, Lauri Metsvahi and Tiit Joamets
*meeting-speech with bishop Urmas Viilma before the concert at 6PM
ESTONIAN SINFONIETTA is an independent freelance orchestra born out of initiative, aiming to find a new expressive language for classical music in the present day. For the musicians of Estonian Sinfonietta, who have been playing together for about a decade, it is very important to introduce Estonian music and musicians to the world. They have performed on several prestigious international stages, including the Golden Hall of Vienna Musikverein in May 2018 under the direction of conductor Kristiina Poska, and at Vienna Konzerthaus in March 2022 under the direction of conductor Emilia Hoving. In July 2021 and April 2022, Estonian Sinfonietta participated in an international opera production of the opera "Lisbeta" by Icelandic composer Karolina Eiriksdottir, created for the 100th anniversary of Åland Islands' independence. In addition to their concert activities outside of Estonia, the orchestra has performed at numerous Estonian festivals and concert series. What makes Estonian Sinfonietta distinctive is its flexibility, which means that the size of the orchestra depends on the repertoire being performed, ranging from a 12-member ensemble to a 55-member orchestra. This allows Estonian Sinfonietta to play a significant role in the world's musical heritage. Estonian Sinfonietta considers it very important to provide solo opportunities for its musicians and takes this into account when planning concert programs. Since June 2023, Peeter Margus has been the concertmaster of Estonian Sinfonietta. The orchestra's guest concertmasters are Anna-Liisa Bezrodny and Rūta Lipinaitytė. Estonian Sinfonietta also has a close collaboration with leading Lithuanian violinist Rūta Lipinaitytė. The orchestra has been performing music by Pärt Uusberg over the years. However, the concert at the Rapla Church Music Festival is Pärt Uusberg's first dedicated evening as a composer, featuring only instrumental music. For more information, visit www.eestisinfonietta.ee.
PEETER MARGUS (1995) has studied violin at Tallinn Old Town Educational College under the guidance of Tiina Pangsepp and later with Ivi Tivik. In 2019, he obtained a bachelor's degree in classical violin from the Sibelius Academy, and in 2022, he graduated cum laude with a master's degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as a student of Prof. Mari Tampere-Bezrodny. As a soloist, Peeter Margus has performed with the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra, Estonian Music Teachers' Symphony Orchestra, Reaalmažoor Youth Orchestra, and the Weinviertler Philharmoniker. From 2016 to 2022, Peeter Margus played in the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. Since 2022, he has been working as a junior researcher at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre while pursuing a doctoral degree. Starting from June 2023, Peeter Margus is the concertmaster of Estonian Sinfonietta.
ESTONIAN PERCUSSION QUARTET was established in 2020 and gave its first concerts in 2021 at the Pärnu Concert Hall and Estonia Concert Hall with the program "Beauty of Percussion." The quartet consists of four outstanding Estonian percussion artists: Karl Johann Lattikas, Lauri Metsvahi, Tiit Joamets, and Tanel-Eiko Novikov, who invite audiences to explore the rich and magical sound world of percussion instruments. Characteristic of percussion instruments, the works in their concert programs are visually captivating and diverse, alternating between virtuosic rapid rhythms on drums and beautifully soft meditative sounds on marimba and vibraphone. By offering a pleasurable listening experience and visual spectacle to the audience, the quartet aims to inspire Estonian composers to write more percussion music. Within a short period of activity, the quartet has commissioned works from composers such as Pärt Uusberg, Alisson Kruusmaa, and Robert Jürjendal. The repertoire of the Estonian Percussion Quartet is highly versatile, including compositions by Estonian composers and works from the golden age of world percussion music. Their programs also feature the ensemble members' arrangements, ranging from baroque to rock. The quartet made its first international appearance at the IMF Buxtehude music festival in autumn 2022, receiving very positive feedback from both the audience and music journalists. In 2023, the Estonian Percussion Quartet was selected for the two-year instrumental ensemble residency program of the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
KARL JOHANN LATTIKAS began his music studies in 2000 at Nõmme Music School in Eero Läte's piano class, and continued in 2005 at Tallinn Music High School under the guidance of Martti Raide. In 2007, he started studying percussion as an additional specialty, with teachers Kristjan Mäeots, Aleksandra Kremenetski, and Vambola Krigul. After graduating from Tallinn Music High School in 2013, he successfully passed the entrance exams to the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. In the same year, he was selected as the first Estonian musician to participate in the European Union Youth Orchestra's Leverhulme Summer Academy. In 2017, Lattikas graduated with a bachelor's degree in percussion performance from the Sibelius Academy, where his teachers were Antti Rislakki, Pasi Suomalainen, Samuli Viitanen, Lassi Erkkilä, Kazutaka Morita, and Timothy Ferchen. From 2017 to 2022, Karl Johann Lattikas studied at the Cologne University of Music and Dance, obtaining a master's degree in percussion performance under the guidance of Patrick Kersken, Johannes Wippermann, Carlos Tarcha, and Peter Haensch. He has furthered his skills in masterclasses with John R. Beck, Mark Braafhart, Damien Bassman, She-E Wu, and Raphael Haeger. As a soloist, Karl Johann Lattikas has performed with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and Estonian Sinfonietta. His notable solo performances include "Bach and Marimba" in the Estonian Concert series "Games with the Subconscious," "Different Bach," and "Dialogue" with cellist Theodor Sink at the BachFest festival. Karl Johann Lattikas has worked with various orchestras and ensembles and renowned conductors across Europe, including the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian Sinfonietta, Estonian Festival Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra, Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Helsinki Sinfonietta, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Aachen Symphony Orchestra, Kuopio City Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, Lohja City Orchestra, Kokkola Opera Ensemble, Turku Kuninkaantien Musicians. In 2019, he performed with the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra in China during the spring season. Karl Johann Lattikas has had the opportunity to perform on prestigious stages such as the Cologne Philharmonic Great Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Great Hall, Vienna Musikverein Golden Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus Great Hall, as well as in regions where Estonian musicians rarely appear, including South America and the Middle East. Karl Johann Lattikas is a member of the Estonian Sinfonietta Collegium and a founding member of the Estonian Percussion Quartet.
LAURI METSVAHI began his music studies in 1996 at the Tallinn Music High School and graduated with honors in the percussion department under the guidance of Kristjan Mäeots. He then continued his studies simultaneously at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in the classical percussion department under Rein Roos and Odd Kyrre Alsvik, and at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School in the field of rhythm music as a student of Andrus Lillepea. From 2011 to 2018, he studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where he obtained a master's degree in classical percussion orchestral direction, with teachers such as Joakim Antero, Mika Takehara, and Niklas Brommare. He also earned a soloist diploma in chamber music direction under the guidance of Daniel Berg and Håkon Kartveit. From 2016 to 2019, Lauri Metsvahi worked as a percussionist in the Stockholm Wind Orchestra, becoming the principal of the percussion section in 2017. He frequently participates in the work of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Västerås Sinfonietta, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, and other Swedish orchestras. In 2016, Metsvahi joined the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic, and from 2012 to 2014, he participated in European Union Youth Orchestra tours as the first Estonian percussionist. Since the summer of 2019, Lauri Metsvahi has been working with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO). He has played in several orchestras, including the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Opera Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles YXUS and PaukenfEst.
TANEL-EIKO NOVIKOV is a prominent interpreter of the new generation in Estonia who gained wider recognition as a percussion soloist after winning the ERR and Eesti Kontsert television competition "Klassikatähed 2018" and representing Estonia at the Classical-Eurovision in Scotland. Tanel performs actively throughout Estonia and has repeatedly appeared as a soloist in other Baltic countries, Scandinavian countries, further in Europe, Russia, and Israel, performing in venues such as the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall and the Henry Crown Hall at the Jerusalem Theatre. He has played with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki Police Orchestra, and many other ensembles. Recent achievements include reaching the finals of the prestigious 7th World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, winning the 1st prize at the 19th Italy Percussion Competition, and receiving the Scandinavian Yamaha Scholarship Award 2023. Tanel began his studies at the Tallinn Music High School, joining Kristjan Mäeots' percussion class in 2008. In 2019, he continued his studies under the renowned percussion soloist Johan Bridger at the Sundsgarden Folk High School in Sweden, and he is currently studying with marimba virtuoso Anders Kann Elten at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Tanel has also received lessons from several world-class percussion artists, including Martin Grubinger, Theodor Milkov, Pius Cheung, Eriko Daimo, and Casey Cangelosi. Tanel's goal is to further popularize percussion playing in Estonia and expand the possibilities of the marimba as a solo instrument.
TIIT JOAMETS is an Estonian percussionist from Tartu who works in the Estonian National Opera Orchestra and teaches percussion at the Tallinn Music and Ballet School. In addition to his daily work, he participates in various ensembles, where he plays the vibraphone as much as possible. Tiit Joamets graduated in percussion from the Heino Eller Music School in Tartu, with a bachelor's degree from the Royal Conservatory of Flanders, and a master's degree from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre cum laude.
PÄRT UUSBERG is a young Estonian composer and conductor, born on December 16, 1986, in Rapla. He has graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School in choral conducting (2009, under the guidance of Heli Jürgenson), obtained a master's degree in composition from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (2014, under the tutelage of Professor Tõnu Kõrvits), and completed another master's degree in choral conducting in 2018 (under Professor Tõnu Kaljuste). Currently, Uusberg works as a freelance composer and conductor. As a composer, he has primarily focused on choral music but has also written chamber, orchestral, and film music. Several albums of his compositions have been released, including "Siis vaikivad kõik mõtted" ("Then All Thoughts Are Silent"), "Liiv, meri ning mõtted" ("Sand, Sea, and Thoughts"), "Õhtu ilu" ("The Beauty of the Evening"), "Luiged läevad" ("Swans Take Flight"), and "Eestimaa atmosfäärid" ("Atmospheres of Estonia"). Since 2008, Uusberg has served as the chief conductor of his own chamber choir, Head Ööd, Vend, and has also conducted various projects as a guest conductor (including the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Male Choir, and Voces Tallinn Chamber Choir). He has led the Estonian Mixed Choirs Association's summer school and international workshops. In 2019, Uusberg won the 7th Estonian Young Conductors Competition. At the 2019 Estonian Song Festival, he conducted his own cantata, "Igaviku tuules" ("In the Winds of Eternity"), and he is the artistic director of the upcoming youth song festival, "Püha on maa" ("The Land Is Sacred"). Uusberg has been recognized twice as the Choir Composer of the Year by the Estonian Choral Association (2012, 2018), and he was also awarded the title of Conductor of the Year in 2021 for his accomplishments.