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Carlsen Center Event: Estonian National Symphony OrchestraPrint OptionsMore InformationRelated Information |
Carlsen Center Event: Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Johnson County Community College
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Joyce Yang, pianist |
Eri Klas, conductor |
2/09/09
Story by Peggy Graham
Estonians Love to Make Beautiful Music
The acclaimed 100-member Estonian National Symphony Orchestra makes its inaugural U.S. tour this season, performing at 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, in Yardley Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College. Estonian maestro Eri Klas conducts, and 2005 Van Cliburn silver medalist Joyce Yang performs as piano soloist. Artists Insights begin at 7 p.m.
Based in the Estonian capital Tallinn, the ENSO has made a name for itself with the 2003 Grammy Award-winning Sibelius Cantatas and the 2006 BBC Music Magazine’s Best Orchestral Recording award of Grieg’s Peer Gynt. The Orchestra has presented the premieres of works by well-known Estonian composers Eduard Tubin, Eino Tamberg, Lepo Sumera, Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits, Toivo Tulev and others. Featured pianist Joyce Yang performs Serge Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Other selections include Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius.
While recent achievements have put the ENSO on the musical map, it has a long and bittersweet history. Founded as the Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra, it gave its first concert in a broadcast by Tallinn Radio on Dec. 18, 1926. During the Soviet regime in the 1950s, the orchestra became the first in the Soviet Union to perform the works of modern composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schöenberg, Anton Webern and Carl Orff, previously suppressed by Stalin's regime.
Following the collapse of Soviet rule and the rebirth of independent Estonia in 1991, the otherwise joyous occasion re-opened Estonian borders and allowed nearly half of the Orchestra's members to migrate to the West in search of better career opportunities. This exodus of talent marked a lull in the Orchestra’s history.
By 1993, the Orchestra had reached a low point. But the eight seasons under conductor Arvo Volmer (1993-2001) proved successful. Volmer managed to create what was in essence an almost entirely new orchestra.
Since the 2001-2002 season, the ENSO principal conductor and music director has been a renowned performer of St. Petersburg's new school of conductors — Nikolai Alexeev. Today the Orchestra has 100 permanent members. The average season includes 60 concerts.
Klas is a frequent guest conductor in North America and equally in demand throughout Europe. His titles with other orchestras include artistic director of the Tallinn Philharmonic; principal guest conductor of the Finnish National Opera and the Holland Kammerphilharmonie; and conductor laureate of the Tampere Philharmonic and the Estonian National Opera.
Tickets for the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra are $35 and $45, available by calling the Carlsen Center box office, 913-469-4445, or online at www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.
