Tõnu Kaljuste

Tõnu Kaljuste has gained international recognition with his diverse repertoire, which ranges from operas and classical symphonic works to contemporary music. He has worked with major modernist composers of Northern and Eastern Europe, such as Alfred Schnittke, György Kurtág, Krzysztof Penderecki, Giya Kancheli, and Einojuhani Rautavaara, and is recognised as an expert interpreter and advocate of Estonian composers, including Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits, Veljo Tormis, and Heino Eller.

Kaljuste has got Grammy for Best Choral Performance for the Arvo Pärt album Adam’s Lament in 2014. His recordings have had a number of Grammy nominations in various categories from opera (David and Bathsheba of the Norwegian composer Ståle Kleiberg) to symphonic music. In 2019 he won the International Classical Music Award for the recording of Arvo Pärt’s symphonies with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra. Kaljuste’s recordings have won also other several prestigious prizes such as Cannes Classical Award (1999), Diapason d’Or (2000), Edison Musical Award (2000), Classic BRIT Award (2003), Prix Caecilia (2023). He has recorded for the ECM Records, Virgin Classic, BIS and Caprice Records labels.

In 1981, Tõnu Kaljuste founded the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, and, after a 20-year break, returned as its artistic director in August 2021. He founded the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in 1993 and returned to be its artistic director between 2019–2024. He is the founder and artistic director of the project theatre Nargen Opera (established in 2004) and has led the Nargenfestival since 2006. Tõnu Kaljuste has conducted operas by Joseph Haydn, including L’isola disabitata, Il mondo della luna, and Armida; Beethoven’s Fidelio.

Tõnu Kaljuste has been honoured with many awards in his native Estonia: the Order of the White Star, 4th Class (1998) and the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 2nd Class (2000), the first St Mary’s Medal of St Mary’s Cathedral congregation in Tallinn (2000), Main Prize of the Culture Endowment of Estonia (2004), several national culture awards for the performance of Veljo Tormis’ music (Estonian Ballads in 2005, Estonian Women’s Songs in 2007, Estonian Men’s Songs in 2009), the interpretation award of the Estonian Council of Music (2010), Culture Award of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2011), the Estonian Cultural Endowment’s Grand Prize (2021). He has been awarded the Eri Klas Scholarship (2021), the Honorary Badge of Harju County (2023), and the Coat of Arms Badge of Tallinn (2023). He received Estonian theatre award for the best musical production for Hydrogen Jukebox by Glass (2024). Kaljuste is the Honorary Conductor of the City of Tallinn (2024) and a laureate of the National Lifetime Achievement Award in Culture (2025).