Music

Estonia achieved independence following the “Singing Revolution”, a name that reveals much about the nation’s strong choral tradition. The Estonian National Male Choir is one of the largest professional men’s choruses in the world, and has contributed to the Estonian choral tradition for more than 70 years. With a repertoire spanning from the Renaissance to contemporary music, and a specialism for showcasing lesser-known Estonian works to a wider audience, the Choir has also premiered compositions by luminaries including Dmitri Shostakovich. The choir also works closely with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, together winning the 2004 Best Choral Performance Grammy Award for a collaborative Sibelius recording. Known as a “tireless champion of Scandinavian music” (Nordic Council Music Prize), the Finnish maverick Leif Segerstam defies all traditional classifications of conductor, composer and musician. Author of over 300 symphonies and laureate of the highly-esteemed Sibelius Medal and the Finnish State Prize for Music, Segerstam has collaborated with world-renowned orchestras and opera companies over many years in his own distinctive way – a pulsating style, Dionysian vitality and an immensely addictive approach to music-making.