Pass / Lüdigi saali sügishooaeg 2026

Lüdigi Hall Autumn Season 2026 September 18 Autumn season opening concert Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Hans Christian Aavik Programme: Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons” Hans Christian Aavik is an internationally acclaimed Estonian violinist, winner of the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition and recipient of Germany's Usedom Music Prize. Gramophone magazine has called him a “rising star”, highlighting his versatile sense of style and distinctive sound. After his 2025 debut at Carnegie Hall in New York, The New York Times called Aavik's performance “astonishing”, emphasizing his natural and deeply considered approach to interpreting Arvo Pärt's music. In 2025, Hans Christian Aavik received the President of the Republic's Young Cultural Figure Award and the Musician of the Year title. He has previously also received the annual prize of the Estonian Cultural Endowment's Endowment for Music and the Estonian Performers' Association's Performer of the Year title. In 2025, Hans Christian Aavik performed as soloist in concerts by the Estonian Festival Orchestra under the direction of Paavo Järvi in Europe and the United States. The concert series dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Arvo Pärt's birth took him, among other places, to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Tonhalle in Zurich and Konzerthaus in Vienna, and culminated in his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. Starting with the 2025/2026 season, Hans Christian Aavik is collaborating with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra in Heilbronn, taking part as a soloist in concerts, “lead and play” projects, chamber music programmes and educational initiatives. Since 2022, Hans Christian Aavik has studied at the Kronberg Academy under Professor Erik Schumann and has collaborated artistically with Julian Rachlin. He plays a violin by Giovanni Paolo Maggini (c. 1610, Brescia) and a bow by Victor Fétique (c. 1930), made available to him through the generous support of the Estonian Instrument Fund and the Sapožnin family. The Tallinn Chamber Orchestra (TKO) was founded in 1993 by conductor Tõnu Kaljuste. Over three decades, the orchestra has become one of Estonia's leading ensembles, invited to perform on concert stages both in Europe and around the world. TKO has attracted attention for its artistically cohesive programmes, stylistically sensitive musicianship and high-calibre interpretation. The orchestra's core consists of highly regarded string players who also regularly perform as soloists and chamber musicians. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir has long been a partner of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; their joint performances and recordings have brought international recognition and acclaim to both ensembles. In 1993, under Tõnu Kaljuste's direction, Arvo Pärt's author album “Te Deum” was recorded for the renowned ECM record label. It received high praise from leading music critics around the world and remained in the top ten of the record charts for months. October 1 International Music Day Piano recital by Tähe-Lee Liiv Programme: Mozart, Bach, Grieg Tähe-Lee Liiv (2003) is one of Estonia's most distinguished young pianists, having achieved notable success both in Estonia and internationally. She performs actively as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared as soloist with many renowned orchestras in Europe, Israel and the United States. Tähe-Lee gained wider recognition by winning the Estonian Pianists' Competition in 2019 and the grand prize of ETV's television competition “Classical Stars” in 2020, being the youngest competitor in both cases (aged 16). She has also received numerous awards at international competitions. Tähe-Lee has performed as soloist with orchestras including the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, New York Camerata, Israel Camerata Jerusalem, Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra and others. Her repertoire includes nearly thirty piano concertos, including less frequently performed works such as Chopin's “Rondo à la Krakowiak”, Mendelssohn's Double Concerto for Piano and Violin, and Ester Mägi's Piano Concerto. In November 2023, Tähe-Lee's debut album featuring Arvo Pärt's complete piano works was released in collaboration with ERP (Estonian Records Productions) and received a very warm reception in the international music press. Gramophone Magazine wrote: Liiv's impressive interpretations show a clear and nuanced understanding of what Arvo Pärt's music is about – in both spiritual and material form. In 2026, her second album, featuring Finnish piano music (Sibelius, Rautavaara, Lindberg), will be released by Da Vinci Classics. Tähe-Lee graduated from Tallinn Music High School, the youth department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and the youth department of the Sibelius Academy. She is a scholarship holder at the Royal College of Music in London. She has studied with Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, Ivari Ilja, Hui-Ying Tawaststjerna, Dmitri Alexeev and Konstantin Bogino. Since 2022, she has studied in Berlin at the Barenboim–Said Akademie under Sir András Schiff. October 31 All Souls' Day concert Chopin's Life and Love Vanemuine Theatre ballet, with Margus Riimaa on piano December 12 Christmas concert Tallinn Boys' Choir Conductor Lydia Rahula. Accompanist Tomi Rahula The Tallinn Boys' Choir was founded in 1988 by the choir's artistic director and chief conductor Lydia Rahula. Kuno Kerge has also worked with the choir since 2018. The choir studio has 60–70 boys. Alongside the concert choir, two training choirs rehearse under the direction of Anneli Riisalu and Mia Martina Sarapuu. The concert choir is a traditional boys' and men's choir (SATB), with boys aged 10–15 and young men and men aged 15–18. Depending on the programme, 35–45 singers perform in the concert ensemble. They rehearse twice a week. The choir's repertoire ranges from chorales to vocal polyphony, and from Estonian compositions to spirituals. The Tallinn Boys' Choir has performed major works by well-known composers including Beethoven, Honegger, Saint-Saëns, Bach, Mozart, Tobias, Artur Kapp and others, both in Estonia and abroad. Its most substantial work has been J. S. Bach's oratorio “St John Passion”, which the choir performed at MustonenFest in Israel, Lithuania and Tallinn. The boys' choir has enjoyed success and recognition at several international choral competitions. It has brought home Grand Prix awards from the international choral competitions in Tampere, Olomouc, Moscow and Malta. The choir has participated in all Estonian song festivals and youth song festivals. In addition to its concerts in 2026, the Tallinn Boys' Choir will also take part in the men's and boys' choirs' song day “I Keep the Beat with Song”, organized by the Estonian Male Choirs' Association and taking place on July 4 in Viljandi. The Christmas concert at the end of the year in Mihkel Lüdig Hall in Vändra will surely be a pleasant surprise. It will be the choir's first time performing in this venue. Listeners are sure to enjoy hearing F. Gruber's “Silent Night” and A. Adam's “O Holy Night”. There will also be songs for us to sing together with the audience. Making music together brings joy. Lydia Rahula is one of Estonia's most distinctive choir conductors. She graduated in choral conducting and music education from the Faculty of Music at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute (University of Tallinn), where her teachers were Heino Kaljuste and Ants Sööt. In 1988, Lydia Rahula founded the Tallinn Boys' Choir and choir studio, and remains its artistic director and chief conductor. In addition to conducting the boys' choir, she works as a teacher in the music classes at Tallinn 21st School. She gives open lessons to both students of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and music teachers. From 2003 to 2013, she was the founder, artistic director and chief conductor of the Estonian Children's Choir. It is worth mentioning that from 1987 to 2019 Lydia Rahula was a conductor and chief conductor at all song festivals (including those of the Estonian Male Choirs' Association and the Tartu song festivals). At the 13th Youth Song and Dance Celebration “Holy Is the Land” in 2023, Lydia Rahula conducted the mass choirs. At the 2026 men's and boys' choirs' song day in Viljandi, she conducted the boys' choirs. Her work and community service have been recognized with many awards, including the “Teacher of the Year” title twice. In 2011, Lydia Rahula was named “Conductor-Music Teacher of the Year”, and in 2018 she was recognized as a distinguished cultural figure of Tallinn. That same year, she was also awarded the Gustav Ernesaks National Scholarship for Choral Music. In 1998, she received the Tallinn Medal of Merit and the Order of the White Star, 5th Class. In 2004, she received the Blue Bird Certificate of Appreciation from the Estonian National Committee for UNICEF. In 2019, she was named University of Tallinn Alumna of the Century. Since 2022, Lydia Rahula has been an honorary member of the Estonian Music Teachers' Association and the Estonian Male Choirs' Association. Full-price ticket €25 Discount ticket (pupil, student, pensioner) €20 Pass €80 (4 concerts) Supporter pass €160 (4 concerts) Concerts start at 19:00 Doors and café open at 18:00