The office of Estonian Choral Association is closed for holidays from December 23, 2024 until January 1, 2025

Registration for Leading Voices 2025 is open!

The moment has finally arrived! The registration for Leading Voices 2025 is open!

Give yourself a Christmas present – apply for Leading Voices!

Register and you’ll have the opportunity to be part of a unique event from July 6-10, 2025 in Tallinn, where you’ll learn, explore, experience and discuss the future of choral music through labs, lectures, workshops, masterclasses, and live concerts with inspiring choirs from around the world.

Register and you will:
• get inspired by artistic concepts and choirs
• learn about new repertoire, conducting techniques, composing ideas, educational methods and choral management
• co-create, exchange opinions and network and do much more!

Get ready for an unforgettable experience next summer.

See programme (updated every week!) HERE

Go to https://leadingvoices.ee/registration/ and register now!

A call for young international cultural managers to be part of the Pueri Cantores 2025 team

YEMP 6 (Young Event Management Programme) at Leading Voices 2025

Are you young? Do you want to experience next year’s Leading Voices event as a member of the organisational team? Do you want to get international experiences in the field of event organisation?

YEMP = Young Event Management Programme is designed for providing young and talented choral organisers with a unique training-on-the-job opportunity. It unites digital competencies, an intense course and work-based learning, all within Leading Voices 2025. Learn from the best and become one of the 10 lucky enthusiasts who are to make the cut and join the colourful international team. The young YEMPers, fully included in the organising team, will be testing themselves with roles in the various offices of the event, under the guidance of two mentors.

Financial conditions are simple: The selected young managers do not need to pay a participation fee, and food and accommodation in Tallinn will be covered. The travel expenses cannot be refunded and have to be covered individually.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN – click HERE
Deadline for Applications: 15 January, 2025

Read more

YEMP 6 in Tallinn in July 2025 is part of the project Choral TIES, coordinated by the European Choral Association and co-funded by the EU Creative Europe programme.

Leading Voices programme in progress

From 6-10 July 2025, Tallinn will host Leading Voices, an event of the European Choral Association organised in cooperation with the Estonian Choral Association and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Music Commission of the event has now made choice from more than 150 proposals, from which about 50 sessions will be in the programme of Leading Voices in July 2025.

We have started to complete the program, and are happy to announce that Musta lammas (Finland)Vilnius Municipal Choir JAUNA MUZIKA (Lithuania), Estonian National Male Choir,Vox Clamantis and Estonian Voices will give concerts during Leading Voices in Tallinn. Conductors’ master class will be lead by Risto Joost (Estonia) and participants will have the unique chance to work with Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
Basilio Astulez Duque (Spain /Basque Country), Tom Johnson (Belgium), Toomas Siitan (Estonia), Hirvo Surva (Estonia), Zurab Tskrialashvili (Georgia) and Jean-Claude Wilkens (France) have already confirmed their workshops, sessions’ list is updated every week. The program will be gradually completed until the end of the year, registration will start in November.

Almost 200 people have subscribed for the Leading Voices newsletter already! If you haven’t done that yet, you are welcome to subscribe HERE!

Estonian Voices, photo by Vahur Lõhmus

Webinar on Tuesday, August 13th at 10.15 – 11.45 CEST: Daphne Wassink’s (Netherlands) lecture „Choirs after COVID – recover, rebuild, renew“

Daphne Wassink’s (Netherlands) lecture „Choirs after COVID – recover, rebuild, renew“ will take place on Tuesday, August 13th at the conductors’ summer course in Haapsalu, Estonia.

Look at the video

Estonian Choral Association will host this lecture as a webinar, with possibility to join online, participate in discussion and ask questions, on Tuesday, August 13th at 10.15 – 11.45 CEST.

You can follow the webinar HERE

Please register here until August 12th:
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZUsceChrT0oH9PZYOjXkGy…

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In the frame of the CHORAL TIES project: Summer Course for Choral Conductors in August 12-15, 2024 in Haapsalu, Estonia

The Choral TIES project is co-funded by the European Union.

Leading Voices, 6-10 July 2025 in Tallinn

From 6-10 July 2025, Tallinn will host Leading Voices, an event of the European Choral Association organised in cooperation with the Estonian Choral Association and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Leading Voices is a kind of symposium which during five days will inspire and train choral conductors/vocal leaders, composers/arrangers, vocal coaches, music educators/teachers, professional singers and managers of all levels and generations.

It offers participants the possibility to actively explore, experience, and discuss the future of choral music through labs, lectures, workshops, lessons, and live concerts with inspiring choirs from around the world.

The event will open with the Estonian Song Celebration, featuring more than 20.000 people singing together on the traditional shell stage.

The main venue of the event will be the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn. The city, known for its vibrant musical and choral life, previously hosted the Europa Cantat festival in 2018 and is famous for its song celebrations held every five years. Notably, the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Celebration entitled “Iseoma” will take place in Tallinn from 3-6 July 2025, just before Leading Voices begins.

The full programme, curated by an international Music Commission with renowned musicians appointed by the European Choral Association, will be announced in October 2024.

From June 25th visit www.leadingvoices.ee for further information and to register for the newsletter!

Audition for Vanemuine Opera Chorus – soprano position

SINGING CONTEST: TORMIS 95!

Dear choirs, ensembles and solo artists from around the world, we invite you to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the legendary composer Veljo Tormis in 2025!

Join the community of singers who honor and celebrate the creative heritage of Veljo Tormis. Tormis’s compositions have resonated across the globe, from grand concert halls to small gatherings in diverse communities on every continent. His timeless songs remain profoundly meaningful in the modern era.

𝖶𝖧𝖸 𝖯𝖠𝖱𝖳𝖨𝖢𝖨𝖯𝖠𝖳𝖤?
The performances of the participants will be shown to as many viewers as possible on the 95th anniversary of Veljo Tormis. You become part of a remarkable tribute!

The competition’s main prize is a trip to Estonia, Kõrveaia, to the birthplace of Veljo Tormis! Surprise prizes await the best domestic performances!
The winners are determined by the vote of an international jury, evaluating the emotional impact, conveying the song’s message, vocal clarity, technical proficiency or innovative approach.

𝖧𝖮𝖶 𝖳𝖮 𝖯𝖠𝖱𝖳𝖨𝖢𝖨𝖯𝖠𝖳𝖤?
Choose your favorite Veljo Tormis song(s). Record a free-form video of your solo/choir’s/ensemble’s performance, upload it to YouTube and send us a web link. Social media tags and posts with #Tormis95 are also very welcome!

Recommendations for song selection:
We recommend choosing well-known and beloved songs by Tormis:

“Curse Upon Iron”
“Estonian Ballads”
“Forgotten Peoples”
“Autumn Landscapes”
“Songs of the Ancient Sea”
“The Singer’s Childhood”
“Röntyshkä”
“Votic Wedding Songs”
“Ingrian Evenings”
“Lahemaa Song”
“Songs Learned at Weddings”
“When I Begin to Sing”
etc.

We’ll compile a video collage using all received submissions, which we’ll collectively view on the big screen at Veljo Tormis’s birthplace and virtually with a global audience on August 7, 2025.
We are looking forward to your participation and the opportunity to meet either virtually or in person at the anniversary celebrations in 2025!

Kindly share this invitation with your friends and let Tormis’s music inspire you!

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 07.05.2025.

More info:
veljotormis.com
iti@veljotormis.com; eva@veljotormis.com

Follow us on socials:
IG @veljotormiskeskus
FB @veljotormiskeskus

Summer Course for Choral Conductors in August 12-15, 2024 in Haapsalu, Estonia

In the frame of the CHORAL TIES project: Summer Course for Choral Conductors in August 12-15, 2024 in Haapsalu, Estonia

Join us for inspiring workshops, lectures and concerts in a cosy seaside town of Estonia!
Working language of international sessions is English.

Registration deadline is extended until July 31, 2024

Registration sheet HERE


INTERNATIONAL SESSIONS

  • Journey from Romantic to Contemporary in European Music (Jan Schumacher, Germany)
  • Choirs after COVID – recover, rebuild, renew (Daphne Wassink, Netherlands)
  • Meeting composer – Tõnu Kõrvits (Estonia)
  • The world’s very first choral conducting app – Jan Schumacher presents the Conductor’s Coach by Carus

PRACTICAL

  • Haapsalu is easily accessible by bus (from Tallinn)
  • The course takes place in Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Centre which has its own hostel and canteen – so accommodation, seminars and meals are all in same place. The concerts will take place in different churches and halls in Haapsalu, transfers will be provided by organisers.
  • Participation fee of the course is 210 € per person which includes all lectures and concerts, accommodation for 3 nights in single or twin room in students’ hostel and meals from dinner of August 12th until breakfast of August 15th.
  • If you prefer to arrive later, leave earlier or stay longer, it is possible – just ask organisers!
  • More information: kooriyhing@kooriyhing.ee


SCHEDULE (subject of changes)

Monday, August 12

Check-in

18.15 – 19.30 dinner

20.00 and 21.30 concerts in Haapsalu Church of Mary Magdalene: Vesper from Kreek’s orthodox music manuscript.
Vocal Ensemble Heinavanker, conductor Margo Kõlar

Tuesday, August 13th   

8.00 – 9.30                  breakfast

9.30 – 11.00                session: Seminar choir (Jan Schumacher)

11.00 – 11.15              break

11.15 – 12.45              lecture / discussion: Choirs after COVID – recover, rebuild, renew (Daphne Wassink)

12.45 – 14.00              lunch

14.00 – 15.30              session: Seminar choir (Jan Schumacher)

15.30 – 15.45              break

15.45 – 16.30              presentation: The world’s very first choral conducting app  (Jan Schumacher)

18.45 – 19.45              dinner

20.00 – 21.00              concert in Haapsalu Dome Church: Chamber Choir Voces Tallinn, conductor Lodewijk van der Ree


Wednesday, August 14th

8.00 – 09.30                breakfast

9.30 – 11.00                session: Seminar choir (Jan Schumacher)

11.00 – 11.15              break

12.15 – 13.45              session: Seminar choir (Jan Schumacher)

13.45 – 15.00              lunch

15.00 – 16.30              Meeting Composer – Tõnu Kõrvits

16.45             bus to Haapsalu, free time

19.00 – 19.45              dinner  

20.00               concert in Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Centre: Youth Male Choir of Estonian National Opera, conductor Hirvo Surva


Thursday, August 15

8.00 – 9.30      breakfast

Departure

The Choral TIES project is co-funded by the European Union.

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