Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Estonia

Tartu, European City of Culture in 2024, hosts the long-established contemporary music festival, bringing together composers and and musicians from across the Baltics.

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Tartu

27 Apr 2024

Solemn rites and fractured chants open Estonian Music Days in Tartu

By Lawrence Dunn

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Tallinn

Anna Karenina: drama, tragedy, passion and excellent dancing

By Maggie Foyer, 19 April 2024

Condensed into two acts, Marina Kesler's Anna Karenina for Estonian National Ballet is packed with dance and makes a very satisfying ballet evening.

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Tallinn

23 Apr 2024

Anna Karenina: drama, tragedy, passion and excellent dancing

By Maggie Foyer

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Tartu

Vanemuine Theatre Ballet's Ash White: well danced drama

By Maggie Foyer, 18 April 2024

Ash White is a tremendously dramatic, full-length ballet, inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale The Sandman.

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Tartu

21 Apr 2024

Vanemuine Theatre Ballet's Ash White: well danced drama

By Maggie Foyer

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Pärnu

Smiles of a summer night: Paavo Järvi at the Pärnu Music Festival

By Richard Bratby, 15 July 2023

New music, old friends and supercharged Strauss from the Estonian Festival Orchestra.

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Pärnu

18 Jul 2023

Smiles of a summer night: Paavo Järvi at the Pärnu Music Festival

By Richard Bratby

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Pärnu

Babylon on the Baltic: Kristjan Järvi parties like it's 1929

By Richard Bratby, 14 July 2023

Babylon Berlin comes to the Pärnu Music Festival, as Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic perform an explosive celebration of music from the TV series.

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Pärnu

16 Jul 2023

Babylon on the Baltic: Kristjan Järvi parties like it's 1929

By Richard Bratby

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Pärnu

The Estonian Festival Orchestra covers itself in glory at the Pärnu Music Festival

By Alexander Hall, 16 July 2022

In a programme of Lutosławski, Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky conducted by Paavo Järvi, there are no weak links in the playing of the EFO and Stefan Dohr’s versatility on the horn is once again on display.

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Pärnu

17 Jul 2022

Estonian Festival Orchestra covers itself in glory in Pärnu

By Alexander Hall

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Pärnu

Energy, rhythm, colour: Kristjan Järvi’s extravaganza in Pärnu

By Alexander Hall, 15 July 2022

As an experience, this was quite something, with the music almost secondary and emotions carrying the day. The term minimalist could only be used to describe the rhythmic patterns.

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Pärnu

16 Jul 2022

Energy, rhythm, colour: Kristjan Järvi’s extravaganza in Pärnu

By Alexander Hall

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Pärnu

Nurturing emergent talent: the Järvi Academy at work in Pärnu

By Alexander Hall, 14 July 2022

Aspiring young conductors literally have to face the music in a second half showcasing their skills, while their teachers kick off proceedings with chamber music presentations of Estonian composers.

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Pärnu

15 Jul 2022

Nurturing emergent talent: the Järvi Academy at work in Pärnu

By Alexander Hall

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Pärnu

Celebrating a musical hero: Neeme Järvi at 85

By Alexander Hall, 13 July 2022

Neeme Järvi celebrates his 80th birthday in style, together with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and his daughter Maarika, in works by Mozart, Gluck and Dvořák.

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Pärnu

14 Jul 2022

Celebrating a musical hero: Neeme Järvi at 85

By Alexander Hall

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Tallinn

Committed singing makes a dramatic Roméo et Juliette at Estonian National Opera

By David Karlin, 23 October 2021

Stephen Barlow's intelligent production makes Gounod's grand opéra as dramatic as it is tuneful.

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Tallinn

24 Oct 2021

A dramatic Roméo et Juliette at Estonian National Opera

By David Karlin

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Laulasmaa

Under the eyes of the composer, young artists Aavik and Žukova impress at the Arvo Pärt Centre

By David Karlin, 22 October 2021

Music by Bach, Schubert and Pärt is handled with flair and expertise by artists at the start of their careers in the Centre's beautiful new concert hall.

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Laulasmaa

23 Oct 2021

Young artists impress at the Arvo Pärt Centre

By David Karlin

Pärnu

Business as usual: Paavo Järvi gets the band back together in Pärnu

By Mark Pullinger, 15 July 2021

The Estonian Festival Orchestra reunites under its founder at the eleventh edition of the Pärnu Music Festival.

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Pärnu

15 Jul 2021

Business as usual: Paavo Järvi gets the band back together in Pärnu

By Mark Pullinger

Pärnu

Two “Firsts” as Beethoven opens the Pärnu Music Festival

By Mark Pullinger, 16 July 2020

While Kalle Randalu proves an amiable soloist in the First Piano Concerto, it is Beethoven the firebrand who startles in Paavo Järvi's account of the First Symphony with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra.

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Pärnu

16 Jul 2020

Two “Firsts” as Beethoven opens the Pärnu Music Festival

By Mark Pullinger

Pärnu

From Pärnu with Love: Tchaikovsky 2 fizzes under Paavo Järvi

By Mark Pullinger, 21 July 2019

A terrific climax to the 2019 Pärnu Music Festival, with outstanding performances from Ain Anger and the Estonian Festival Orchestra.

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Pärnu

22 Jul 2019

From Pärnu with Love: Tchaikovsky 2 fizzes under Paavo Järvi

By Mark Pullinger

Pärnu

Pass the baton: Järvi Academy's conducting relay

By Mark Pullinger, 20 July 2019

Eleven conductors get to strut their stuff in an eclectic programme in Pärnu.

Pärnu

21 Jul 2019

Pass the baton: Järvi Academy's conducting relay

By Mark Pullinger

Pärnu

Musical Klimt: Vienna comes to Pärnu in Erkki-Sven Tüür's chamber gala

By Mark Pullinger, 19 July 2019

Erich Korngold's luscious String Sextet provides the musical highlight of Erkki-Sven Tüür's Pärnu programme.

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Pärnu

20 Jul 2019

Musical Klimt: Vienna comes to Pärnu in Tüür's chamber gala

By Mark Pullinger

Pärnu

Pride of Pärnu: Estonian Festival Orchestra revels in Nielsen

By Mark Pullinger, 18 July 2019

In Estonia's summer capital of Pärnu, holiday spirits and family pride abound in the EFO's first concert of Paavo Järvi's festival.

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Pärnu

19 Jul 2019

Pride of Pärnu: Estonian Festival Orchestra revels in Nielsen

By Mark Pullinger

Tallinn

What’s the poooints? Atonal explorations “through the forest” in Tallinn

By Timmy Fisher, 05 May 2019

The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra deliver a bold but challenging programme of atonal works.

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Tallinn

07 May 2019

Atonal explorations “through the forest” in Tallinn

By Timmy Fisher

Tallinn

“Blossomings”: a stunning display of contemporary choral music in Tallinn

By Timmy Fisher, 04 May 2019

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir deliver the goods on home turf.

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Tallinn

07 May 2019

“Blossomings”: a stunning display of contemporary choral music

By Timmy Fisher

Tallinn

Shadows and energy, ghosts and pomposity at Tallinn’s Estonia Concert Hall

By Simon Cummings, 07 April 2017

The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under Kristiina Poska strain, discharge energy and ultimately make magic at the annual Estonian Music Days.

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Tallinn

10 Apr 2017

Shadows and energy, ghosts and pomposity

By Simon Cummings

Tallinn

Mixed messages and mixed results from the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

By Simon Cummings, 16 April 2016

The Estonian Music Days end with a recital of choral music that often proved challenging, but not in a good way.

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Tallinn

20 Apr 2016

Mixed messages and mixed results in Tallinn

By Simon Cummings

Tallinn

Spring in Tallinn: sexy swagger and emotional devastation

By Simon Cummings, 15 April 2016

New works for orchestra from the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra directed by Anu Tali

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Tallinn

19 Apr 2016

Spring in Tallinn: sexy swagger and emotional devastation

By Simon Cummings

Tallinn

Defiant but non-confrontational: Nordic Affect at the Estonian Music Days

By Simon Cummings, 13 April 2016

Nordic Affect explores works from Estonia and Iceland asserting introspection and independence.

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Tallinn

18 Apr 2016

Defiant but non-confrontational: Nordic Affect

By Simon Cummings

Tallinn

Orchestra Rehearsal: Fellini restaged in Tallinn

By Simon Rees, 09 August 2015

Federico Fellini’s underrated film Orchestra Rehearsal (Prova d’orchestra) was released in 1978, and told the story of an orchestra going on strike against its conductor.

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Tallinn

17 Sep 2015

Fellini restaged in Tallinn

By Simon Rees

Tallinn

Fokine double bill performed at the Birgitta Festival

By Simon Rees, 08 August 2015

A double bill at the Birgitta Festival staged Scheherazade and the Polovtsian Dances, both performed in costumes and on sets based on the original designs dating from around 1910.

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Tallinn

16 Sep 2015

Fokine double bill performed at the Birgitta Festival

By Simon Rees

Tallinn

Haydn's The Creation given a high-flying staging in Estonia

By Simon Rees, 07 August 2015

A high-flying, zip-wire staging of Haydn's The Creation in Tallinn.

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Tallinn

14 Sep 2015

A high-flying Creation in Estonia

By Simon Rees

Tallinn

Murdering the customers, murdering the score: Cardillac in Estonia

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 14 May 2015

At the Estonian National Opera, Vilppu Kiljunen's staging of Hindemith's crime opera Cardillac is wonderfully eerie. Unfortunately, conductor Vello Pähn's reading of the score doesn't do it justice.

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Tallinn

16 May 2015

Murdering the customers, murdering the score

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz

Tallinn

Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in a programme of premières from young Estonian composers

By Gavin Dixon, 12 April 2015

“Two Ladies”, the title of this afternoon’s concert of the Estonian Music Days festival, referred to its two violin soloists, Triin Ruubel and Juta Õunapuu-Mocanita.

Tallinn

13 Apr 2015

Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in a programme of premières

By Gavin Dixon

Tallinn

Ansemble Sepia: Zooming Estonia

By Gavin Dixon, 11 April 2015

Radical new music doesn’t always have to be presented with a straight face, as demonstrated by the Polish Ansambel Sepia in Tallinn.

Tallinn

13 Apr 2015

Ansemble Sepia: Zooming Estonia

By Gavin Dixon

Tallinn

Six of the best: Estonian Music Days festival launches in Tallinn

By Gavin Dixon, 10 April 2015

The Tallinn National Symphony Orchestra Easter concert represents new music patronage on a grand scale. Six up-and-coming Estonian composers are commissioned write a substantial work for orchestra, and an entire concert is given over to their first performances.

Tallinn

13 Apr 2015

Estonian Music Days launches in Tallinn

By Gavin Dixon

Tallinn

A sleazy, sardonic Ballo from Helikon Opera in Talinn

By Simon Rees, 15 August 2014

The Birgitta Festival is an interesting annual venture put on by the city of Tallinn, and in 2014 it completes its tenth year. The festival is held in the ruined Convent of St Birgitta, set back from Tallinn Bay and on the banks of the River Pirita.

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Tallinn

05 Sep 2014

A sleazy, sardonic Ballo

By Simon Rees