Tõnu Kaljuste

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Tõnu Kaljuste (2008)

Tõnu Kaljuste ([ ˈtɤ.nu ˈkal.jus.te ]; born August 28, 1953 in Tallinn ) is an Estonian conductor .

Early years

Tõnu Kaljuste was born the son of the Estonian conductor Heino Kaljuste (1925–1989) and the radio journalist Lia Kaljuste. In 1971 he graduated from the Tallinn Music High School ( Tallinna Muusikakeskkool ). He then studied choir and orchestral conducting at the Tallinn State Conservatory (now the Estonian Music Academy ) until 1976 . From 1976 to 1978, he deepened his knowledge at the conservatory in Leningrad .

conductor

From 1971 Kaljuste conducted the Ellerhein Chamber Choir, founded by his father in 1966, and became its director in 1974. From 1978 to 1980 Tõnu Kaljuste was a lecturer in choral conducting at the Tallinn State Conservatory and from 1978 to 1985 conductor at the Estonia National Opera .

In 1980 the Ellerhein Chamber Choir and Tõnu Kaljuste won the first prizes at the 9th Béla Bartók Choir Competition in Hungary . In 1981 the choir was renamed the State Philharmonic Chamber Choir of the Estonian SSR (later the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir). Since then, Tõnu Kaljuste has worked exclusively as a conductor. He remained the choir's chief conductor until 2001.

International career

From 1994 to 2000 he was chief conductor of the Swedish Radio Choir and from 1998 to 2000 chief conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir. In 2004 he received the first prize of the Estonian state foundation Kultuurkapital . Since 2004 Kaljuste has been the conductor of the Nargen Festival , an annual three-month musical event on the Estonian coast.

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