print this page Jubilee! 20th Kuressaare Chamber Music Days July 29th - August 2nd, 2014 The music of friends has enchanted us already for 20 years! Every year on a nice summer morning piano music can be heard from Kuressaare Cultural Centre. Music friends can unmistakably recognize Andres Paas who has returned to his hometown and it means that the Chamber Music Days are about to begin. This time already for the twentieth time. Twentieth time! It makes one feel like grabbing at a globe and marking all the places on it where the musicians and artists who have performed at the festival in Kuressaare so far have come from. The most remote place is probably Argentina, the closest right here – musicians who have graduated from Kuressaare Music School. Already the distance in kilometres would be quite impressive. Not to mention the variety of high-quality music that the has been brought along. Chamber music, often named friends’ music for its intimate nature, has literally won friends in Kuressaare and Saaremaa. It is sometimes asked what is the role of culture in our lives. One role, without doubt, is to create new needs. Andres Paas – pianist and artistic director of Kuressaare Chamber Music Days – has created such new need which we did not have 20 years ago. Now we cannot even imagine warm August nights in Kuressaare without chamber music. May the tradition of the festival last, and I wish big success to the organizers and supporters. Thank you very much for this unique music experience! Urve Tiidus Estonian Minister of Culture Dear chamber music friends! One can say that there is never too much good music. As the mayor of Kuressaare I am very proud of the people who have already during two decades put all their heart and efforts into organising the Chamber Music Festival in Saaremaa. I am very greatful to them for that. The Festival already has its regular audience and high reputation. To this the beautiful summer and hospitality of Saaremaa can be added. The Festival taking place in 2014 is of particular importance since the most important chamber music festival in Estonia is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. Kuressaare gives its best to continue supporting this high-quality festival in our beautiful city also in the coming years. I wish you great music experience and see you at the festival! Yours, Hannes Hanso Mayor of Kuressaare July 29th - August 31st, Hall of Kuressaare Cultural Centre Photo Exhibition "Highlights – Kuressaare Chamber Music Days 20" Photos: Irina Mägi, Urmas Saks and Tõnu Otstavel Tuesday, July 29th 2014 at 7 pm Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St 6) OPENING CONCERT Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta Soloists: Andres Paas (piano), Julia Igonina (violin) Russia, Rustam Komatshkov (cello) Russia Conductor: Toomas Vavilov Programme: Wofgang Amadeus Mozart - Divertimento K 136 Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.60 "Il Distratto" (The Distracted) C Major Ludvig van Beethoven - Concert for piano, violin, cello and orchestra op. 56 C Major This year we are already celebrating 20 years of Kuressaare Chamber Music Days. The jubilee festival will be opened by one of the most distinguished orchestras in Estonia Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta conducted by Toomas Vavilov. Beethoven’s virtuoso Triple Concerto will this time be performed by Andres Paas – the artistic director of the festival and a renowned pianist together with acclaimed musicians from Russia, already well known to the festival’s audience – violinist Julia Igonina and cellist Rustam Komatshkov. These three musicians had their joint debut with this piece of music in Russia together with Ryazan Symphony Orchestra last year on the big stage of Ryazan Philharmonic. Glasperlenspiel Sinfonietta had their Kuressaare Chamber Music Days debut a year ago and their concert was very warmly welcomed by the festival audience. Despite of the short activity period this orchestra has moved its audiences with its emotional playing style both in Estonia and abroad from Europe to South-America. They have also played in many prestigious concert halls such as Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, among others. Wednesday, July 30th 2014 at 10 pm Kuressaare Castle (Lossihoov 1) VISIONS Prague Guitar Quartet Czech Republic Marek Veleminsky, Vaclav Kucera, Jan Tulacek, Patrick Vacik Programme: J. Ph. Rameau, A. de Lhoyer, L. Janacek, H. Villa-Lobos, B. Britten, L. Brouwer, J. Duarte, J. Rodrigo Prague Guitar Quartet is celebrating already its 30th birthday this year. They will make their debut in Estonia namely in Kuressaare, at the Chamber Music Days. The ensemble has played itself to the top of the guitar quartets in the world and it has won the acclaim both at home and abroad. Some critics regard the Prague Guitar Quartet as one of the very best guitar ensembles in the world today. Reviewers have been unanimous in their praise of the virtuosity of the Quartet's individual members, but above all of their homogeneity of sound, unanimity, attractive and tasteful repertoire, and their musical expressivity. These qualities have prompted outstanding composers to dedicate their works to the Quartet. As a first-class ensemble whose individual members are Laureates in international competitions, the Quartet has appeared successfully in numerous music and guitar festivals throughout Europe, USA and the Middle East. They have made many radio and TV recordings and several CDs. Thursday, July 31st 2014 at 7 pm Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St 6) FANTASIES Irina Zahharenkova piano recital Irina Zahharenkova Programme: Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita No. 2 C minor BWV 826 Ludvig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 17 D minor op.31 No.2 Frederic Chopin - Sonata No. 3 B minor op.58 Irina Zahharenkova is one of the most outstanding piano and harpsichord performers of her generation to emerge from Estonia today. She has won first prizes in international competitions playing piano as well as harpsichord in Leipzig’s Johann Sebastian Bach Competition (2006), Italy’s Alessandro Casagrande Competition (2006), Romania’s Georges Enesco Competition (2005), and Spain’s Premio Jaen Competition (2004), A. Rubinshtein Piano Masters Competition in Israel (2008), etc. Irina has performed frequently in solo piano recitals in European music festivals together with several orchestras. She has appeared – among others – with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki City Orchestra, Israel Philarmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orchestre National de Lorraine, etc. She has attracted attention with her recordings, out of which the one with the Scarlatti Sonatas (Classical Records, 2012) has been particularly acclaimed. Thursday, July 31st 2014 at 10 pm Kuressaare St Laurentius Church (Tallinna St 13) MEDITATIONS: "All-Night Vigil" Talla Vocal Ensemble Finland Pasi Hyökki, Olli Hannuksela, Jussi Salovaara, Paavo Hyökki, Mikko Hannuksela, Petri Muranen, Tommi Vuorialho, Juho Taskinen, Antti-Mikko Honkaniemi, Eero Smeds, Tuukka Haapaniemi Programme: Sergei Rahmaninov - All-Night Vigil op. 37 Vocal ensemble Talla will also make their debut in Estonia in Kuressaare at its jubilee festival. Founded in Helsinki in 1991, the Talla Vocal Ensemble is one of the leading groups in its field in Finland. Its eleven male singers have a combined range of four octaves, enabling the group to perform mixed-choir repertoire too. Talla combines the rare male soprano voice with a deep Slavonic bass. The ensemble’s extensive repertoire ranges from Renaissance works, and the Baltic Sea region’s folk music to the complex vocal works. The latter also includes the 15-part "All-Night Vigil" by Rachmaninoff to be performed in Kuressaare. Talla has released several CDs and has made premiere recordings of several works for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE. The critics of one of the most important Nordic Countries` daily newspapers Helsingin Sanomat, chose the Talla’s CD with Rachmaninoff’s "All-Night Vigil" as the record of the year in in 2010. Talla has won several international competitions for vocal ensembles and has performed at various Finnish and international choral festivals. Friday, August 1st 2014 at 10 pm Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St 6) EXOTIC PROMENADES Flamenco performance "Passion of Andalucia" Spain Fernando Galan (dancer) Manuel de la Fragua (vocal) Ismael Heredia (guitar) Kike Lebron (percussions / cajón) After several years the festival’s program this year also features a flamenco show. In its exotic show "Passion of Andalucia" the star of the world’s flamenco stages – ensemble Flamenco Jerez from Spain – takes the audience to the cradle of flamenco – colourful, emotional, dramatic and passionate Andalucía. The ensemble presents traditional flamenco through different rhythms and main palos, referring to the roots of flamenco in Andalucía in Southern Spain, and performing music, songs and dances by its hot-tempered glory. In this flamenco music the guitar and percussion converge with the voice and dance, describing Andalucía flavours, traditions, longing and nostalgia. In this show they will appreciate effervescent heel-and-toe step combinations, along with the power of Flamenco Jerez and the demanding technique and jaw-dropping athleticism of Spanish dance. In collaboration with the Spanish Embassy Saturday, August 2nd 2014 at 7 pm Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St 6) FINALE: "Love Songs-Waltzes" Heli Veskus (soprano) Helen Lepalaan (mezzo-soprano) Mati Turi (tenor) Rauno Elp (baritone) Tallinn Piano Duo: Nata-Ly Sakkos & Toivo Peäske Programme: Johannes Brahms - Love Songs-Waltzes op. 52, Hungarian Dances and New Love-Songs-Waltzes op. 65 The final concert of the jubilee festival is gallant, charming and enthralling. The ensemble of the quartet of Estonian top singers and Tallinn Piano Duo will perform both cycles from "Love Songs-Waltzes" by Johannes Brahms (op. 52 and "New Love-Songs-Waltzes" op. 65) – music which is not so often performed on the world stages. In addition the piano duo will also perform an exciting selection of Brahms’ "Hugarian Dances" for piano four-hands. The vocal soloists all have great experience performing on various stages home and abroad and are sought-after opera singers as well as chamber music singers. Tallinn Piano Duo is soon celebrating its 40th birthday and has remarkably influenced Estonian piano duo genre. Follow as on Facebook!