History

     ESTONIAN PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CHOIR (EPCC) has become the best-known Estonian classical music performer and one of the best choirs in the world. In 2001-2007 the choir’s chief conductor and artistic director was Paul Hillier. The renown British musician has widened the choir’s perspectives and continued their success both in the recording field and as a performing group at prominent concert venues and festivals. Since September 2008 the chief conductor and artistic director is Daniel Reuss.
     EPCC was founded in 1981 by Tõnu Kaljuste, who acted as artistic director and chief conductor for 20 years. It was first formed as an amateur chamber choir Ellerhein, founded by Tõnu Kaljuste's father Heino Kaljuste (1925-1989) on the 15th anniversary of the children's choir Ellerhein in 1966. In 1971 Tõnu Kaljuste became the conductor of the chamber choir Ellerhein, on the basis of which he formed the full-time professional EPCC.
     At the 1991 Takarazuka Chamber Choir Competition in Japan the choir won three gold medals and was awarded the Grand Prix. Since then the choir has not been envolved in any competition, the main activities having been concerts at home and abroad, and recordings under different recording and broadcasting companies.
     EPCC gives 60-70 concerts per season and tours regularly in Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. Their repertoire ranges from Gregorian chants to late baroque and 20^th century music. Works by Bach and contemporary composers, as well as Estonian choral music have a great importance in choir’s programs. Music by Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis has shared a very special place in the EPCC’s repertoire for many years. (Please have a look at the repertoire - the most essential part of it can be seen there.) 
     The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir has worked with various conductors and orchestras, such as Claudio Abbado, Helmuth Rilling, Sir David Willcocks, Dale Warland, Eric Ericson,  Anders Öhrwall, Martin Haselböck, Ivan Fisher, Ward Swingle, Joseph Jennings, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Andrew Lawrence-King, Roland Böer, Toomas Vavilov, Anu Tali and others; Australian Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra,  Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Rundfunk Orchester, Concerto Copenhagen, Concerto Palatino, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and others. Partnership with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra has been long and fruitful. These two groups have made several tours together, both in Europe and in the US, focusing mainly on works by Arvo Pärt, and recorded several CD-s. 
    The choir has made numerous recordings for different broadcasting and recording companies. All these have received very high recognition from leading music critics and musical magazines from all over the world. The recordings for the recording company ECM (ECM NEW Series) include Forgotten Peoples and Litany to Thunder (the best choral CD in 2000 by the Diapason magazine in France) by Veljo Tormis, Kanon Pokajanen, Te Deum (with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra) and Litany (with The Hilliard Ensemble) by Arvo Pärt and Crystallisatio by Erkki-Sven Tüür. For Virgin Classics the choir has recorded Casting a Spell by Veljo Tormis and Beatus by Arvo Pärt. For Carus the EPCC and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra recorded 2 CD-s of Mozart  in 2000 (Litaniae and Vesperae et Litania),  and 2 CD-s of Vivaldi. 
     In the summer of 2002 the EPCC and Paul Hillier started cooperation with Harmonia Mundi USA.  For the three-years project Baltic Voices, which’s main idea is to explore the breadth and depth of choral music from the countries around the Baltic Sea, the choir has recorded 3 CDs: Baltic Voices 1 was released in 2002, Baltic Voices 2 in 2003 and Baltic Voices 3 in 2005. Other projects with Harmonia Mundi have been Powers of Heaven in 2003 (Russian Orthodox Church music from the 18th century), Rachmaninov – All-Night Vigil in 2005, Da Pacem (works by Arvo Pärt) and A New Joy (Russian Orthodox Christmas music), both in 2006. 

Paul Hillier and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir's recording of Arvo Pärt's Da Pacem (Harmonia Mundi) won the Grammy award for Best Choral Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007.

The recordings Te Deum, Litany, Crystallisatio, Kanon Pokajanen, Baltic Voices 1 and Baltic Voices 2 have been nominees for the Grammy awards. More information about the above-mentioned and choir's other recordings can be found looking at the discography.

       The Recordings Academy GRAMMY Awards Committee has noticed the choir's work for eight times by nominating the following recordings: 

 

Te Deum (Best Choral Performance, 1993),
Litany (Best Classical Producer :Manfred Eicher, 1996),
Crystallisatio (Best Classical Producer: Manfred Eicher, 1996),
Kanon Pokajanen (Best Classical Contemporary Composition: Arvo Pärt and Best Classical Producer: Manfred Eicher, 1998), 
Now the Powers of Heaven (Best Classical Producer: Robina Young, 2003), 
Baltic Voices 1 (Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Producer: Robina Young, 2002),

Baltic Voices 2 (Best Choral Performance, 2004);

Da Pacem (Best Choral Performance, 2006) - Grammy award winner.

 

 
    CONCERT SEASONS YEAR BY YEAR (or see Concerts)

    In the 1996/1997 concert season the choir was active in two larger concert series: "Chamber Philharmony", based mostly on music by Joseph Haydn and Benjamin Britten, and "Vox Nova" the main subject of which was Arnold Schoenberg's music. The "Chamber Philharmony"-series was held by Tõnu Kaljuste, the artistic director of the "Vox Nova"-series was Olari Elts, the choir's guest conductor in the '96/97 season.
     In the 1997/1998 concert season the guest conductor of the choir was Toomas Siitan, the artistic director of concert series "Vox Antiqua", consisting of medieval music from Magister Perotinus to Melchior Franck. Another series, "Leaders and Gods", was carried out by Tõnu Kaljuste. This one consisted of five operas (concert performances) from different ages, starting with medieval Ludus Danielis (directed by Luchia Nigohossian (BG/FR)) and ending with Nixon in China by J. Adams.
     In the 1998/1999 concert season the topical concert series was "Vox Romanticum" (sorry, Latinists!), consisting of different countries' romantic music: German music was conducted by Tarmo Vaask, American by Dale Warland, Scandinavian by Timo Nuoranne and English music by Paul Hillier.
     In the 1999/2000 concert season the main events were concert tours to Israel (with "The New Israel Chamber Ensemble"), Australia (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) and the USA. In spring period a concert series of four, called "Vox Septem Saeculi", was carried out by the choir's young choir master, Mikk Üleoja.
     Season 2000/2001 had for its main  concert series "Bach-Beethoven", held by Tõnu Kaljuste, consisting of four concerts representing King's Cantatas and Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and Kaiser's Cantatas and Mass in C major by Ludwig van Beethoven. The second half of the season was marked by the choir's 20th anniversary, culminating with the birthday concert on the 1st of July.
     Season2001/2002 began with new Artistic director and Chief conductor Paul Hillier. The top events of that season were performance of Händel’s Messiah in St.Petersburg Philharmonic Hall (together with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra), tours to Germany (with Paul Hillier) . Israel (10 performances with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Ivor Bolton) and the US/Canada (with Tõnu Kaljuste) and recording of two first CD-s for Harmonia Mundi in July 2002.
    Season 2002/2003

was marked by new partnership projects, which would continue in the future – performances of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Concerto Copenhagen and Monteverdi’s Vespers with Concerto Palatino. In September the EPCC premiered the new piece by the British composer Howard Skempton, commissioned by the EPCC with support from the British Council (having the composer himself at the premiere). In November 2002 the EPCC had a very successful tour in Japan, including Japanese premiere of Arvo Pärt’s Litany together with Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Highlights of the season were also the performance of Kanon Pokajanen at Arvo Pärt Festival in Copenhagen, concert in Berlin Philharmonic Hall with Berlin Rundfunk Orchester (both with conductor Tõnu Kaljuste), Baltic Voices concerts in Denmark celebrating the 85^th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia (with Paul Hillier), concert program The Voice of the Turtle (music of Henry Purcell) with inspiring and charming guest conductor Andrew Lawrence King, festival Spiegel im Spiegel, dedicated to music by Bach and Pärt in Neuhardenberg, Germany together with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Tõnu Kaljuste. The season ended with concerts and recording of Baltic Voices 2 for Harmonia Mundi.
     Season 2003/2004,  besides concerts in Estonia,  took the choir to concert tours in Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Israel, USA, Canada, Finland, Ireland and Germany. A unique project, stage production of two Japan-influenced chamber operas (Benjamin Britten’s “Curlew River��? and the premiere of “It Is Getting So Dark��? by Estonian Helena Tulve) was undertaken in June. The summer included several concerts in Estonia with the program Arvo Pärt and Early Music.  

 

The season 2008/2009 begun under a new artistic director and chief conductor Daniel Reuss with concerts of Pärt, Haydn and Bach in Rakvere, Narva and Tallinn, participating Tallinn Chamber Orchestra (TCO). In October new Estonian productions had its premiere - Galina Grigorjeva’s „Nature Morte“ and Ülo Krigul’s „Preces ad lucem“. Together with Sofia Gubaidulina’s „Теперь вcегда cнега“, they both were performed also at Tenso Days in Riga. After Paisley Choral Festival in Scotland, the EPCC together with TCO and Tõnu Kaljuste had a three week tour at the US, where 11 concerts were given with pieces by Pärt, Tüür, Tulev, Vivaldi and Kõrvits. In December Daniel Reuss conducted Händel’s „Israel in Egypt”, performers where EPCC, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and soloists. In the end of the year the choir participated at „Händel Gala“ at concert halls in Pärnu and Tallinn.

In the beginning of 2009 at the XX Baroque Music Festival Frieder Bernius conducted Domenico Scarlatti’s and Heinrich Schütz’s music, participating Helsinki Baroque Ensemble. The same festival ended with Vivaldi Gala conducted by Andres Mustonen. The 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn was celebrated with a concert in Niguliste Church under Daniel Reuss. In February the EPCC toured in Asia, giving concerts under Stephen Layton in China and South-Korea. In March the choir gave 11 free concerts at Estonian schools with the programme „School Baroque“ conducted by Toomas Siitan. In April the EPCC under Reuss gave concerts in Austria, including Wiener Konzerthaus and in Italy. In spring the EPCC together with Cappella Amsterdam, Daniel Reuss and international soloists recorded Frank Martin’s „Golgotha“ for Harmonia Mundi. In May Olari Elts conducted Haydn’s „The Seasons“. The last tours of the season took the choir to Germany to the Schwetzinger Festival and France to the Festival „L’ete musical“. In July the EPCC participated at the XXV Song Celebrations in Estonia, where Reuss conducted Bruckner’s „Ave Maria“. In summer the choir together with Corelli Baroque Orchestra performed Bach’s Motets in various Estonian churches. The season was ended in Bremen, where the EPCC participated in Mozart’s „Idomeneo“ production.