Press release:
26.07. - 5.08. in Rapla County’s bigger and smaller churches outstanding Estonian soloists, choirs and ensembles as well as foreign guests will perform. The festival will combine extraordinary music, Estonia’s beautiful churches and dim summer evenings. The talks, the exhibition to be opened and the works of Estonian composers is the festival’s gift to the celebration of the Republic of Estonia’s centenary. The organizer of the festival is PLMF Music Trust and the artistic director is Pille Lill.
“PLMF Music Trust is honored to organize one of the oldest festivals of Estonia”, said Pille Lill and added “we are grateful that EELC archbishop Urmas Viilma is giving his blessing as the festival’s patron, with whom there will be a talk discussing Estonia 100 on 5th of August at 6 PM in the garden of Rapla church”.
Festival’s headliner is Estonian National Male Choir conducted by Mikk Üleoja at the opening concert on 26th of July at 7 PM in Rapla church, where Andres Lemba’s grand musical work “Mass” will be performed. Estonian National Opera Boys’ Choir singers and organist Ene Salumäe will also perform. In addition, we will hear mezzo soprano Iiris Oja as a soloist in Vache Sharafjan’s “Stabat mater”. There will be an exhibition opening of “Hundred Years in Rapla County” in the rooms of Rapla church.
Festival will delight the audience with the sacred folk music concert “Come Back Children”. In the extraordinary Hageri Brotherhood Prayer House Kärt, Ants, Mart and Jaak Johanson and Krista Citra Joonas will perform on 29th of July at 7 PM. After the concert there will be a talk with the performers in the garden of the prayer house discussing Estonia 100.
In addition to Estonian National Male choir, we will hear choir music on 1st of August in Velise Orthodox church, where mixed choir “Daugava” from Latvia will perform conducted by Jevgeņijs Ustinskovs and Renāts Cvečkovskis and on 2nd of August Male Choir of the Choral Society of Moravian Teachers from Czech conducted by Jiří Šimáček will perform in Vahastu church.
First time cooperation with the International Alion Baltic Music Festival will bring world famous Russian violinist and conductor Sergei Stadler as one of the pearls of the festival to Rapla, who will conduct IX International Rapla Summer School Chamber Orchestra on 3rd of August in Rapla church and on 4th of August in Tallinn Philharmonic House of the Blackheads.
IX Rapla Summer Academy for String Players will take place between 31.07. – 4.08, where teachers next to Sergei Stadler will be Stanislav Pronin (violin, Germany/Canada), Anastasia de Haan (violin, Netherlands), Sumiko Tajihi (violin, Japan/USA), Marco Misciagna (viola, Italy), Chiu-Chen Liu (viola, Taiwan/USA) and Levi-Danel Mägila (cello, Estonia).
IX International Rapla Summer Academy for Singers between 26th – 30th of July will bring top specialists as teachers to Rapla – Samuel Krum (vocal- and opera consultant, Australia/UK) and Gundula Hintz (mezzo soprano, Germany), with whom Pille Lill (soprano) and Oliver Kuusik (tenor) will share their knowledge. The Summer Academy for Singers will finish in Rapla church on 30th of July with Opera Gala, where the participants of the summer academy will perform.
In a more chambered mood it is possible to hear Estonia’s outstanding musicians and top interprets at the festival concerts, which include singer Pirjo Levandi and guitarist Madis Arvisto (27.07 in Järvakandi church), soprano Pille Lill, violinist Kristina Kriit and organist Tiia Tenno (28.07 in Käru church) and cellist Andreas Lend and accordionist Allan Jakobi (31.07 in Kehtna church).
At the final concert of the festival on 5th of August in Rapla church we will hear Estonia’s one of the most outstanding organists Ines Maidre and Tallinn Hobby Centre Kullo Children’s Choir Ellerhein conducted by Anneli Mäeots and Ilona Muhel. Festival will finish with works from Estonian composers Sarapik, Vinter, Rannap etc.
Registration to the Summer Academies is open, further information https://plmf.ee/en/summer-academy/
Tickets are on sale in Piletilevi, the price ranging from 5€ to 15€ and an hour before the beginning on spot.
The main sponsors of the festival are Akzo Nobel AS and Harviker OÜ.
We are sincerely grateful to all the supporters: The Ministry of Culture, The Culture Endowment, , Rapla Commune Administration, Rapla County Administration, Estonian Author’s Society, ESPAK AS, Saarioinen Estonia OÜ, Piletilevi, Liisi Järelmaks, Metaprint AS, OVERALL, Powerhouse OÜ etc.