Photo: Mait Jüriado
Heli Jürgenson (choir master) studied choir conducting at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and has been teaching choir conducting at the former since 1992. Furthermore, Heli has been a conductor of the Mixed Choir of Estonian Society since its establishment in 1993.
Between the years 2001 and 2012 Heli worked as a choir master in the Estonian National Opera Chorus, preparing operas and other large scale projects, for instance, Mussorgski’s ‘Boris Godunov’, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pikovaya dama’, Verdi’s ‘Aida’, ‘La traviata’ and Requiem, Wagner’s ‘Tannhäuser’, Puccini’s ‘Tosca’, Tüür’s ‘Wallenberg’, Britten’s War Requiem, Rachmaninov’s ‘The Bells’ etc.
Since 2012 Heli has been the choir master for the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, working with a cappella programmes, and substantial projects and operas, including Pärt’s ‘Litany’, ‘In Principio’, ‘Te Deum’ and ‘Adam’s Passion’, Fauré’s Requime, Haydn’s ‘The Seasons’ and ‘The Creation’, Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ and ‘Stabat Mater’, Brahms’s ‘Ein deutsches Requiem’, Mozart’s ’Coronation Mass’ and Requiem, McMillan’s ’Seven Last Words from the Cross’, Glass’s ’Koyaanisqatsi’, Wagner’s ’Der fliegender Holländer’, Verdi’s ’Rigoletto’, Mozart’s ’Don Giovanni’ etc.
Heli is welcomed and appreciated as a conductor at distinguished Estonian Song Festivals. She has been an artistic director of the Finnish-Estonian Song Festival and an artistic director for the Festival of Sacred Music several times. In 2013 Heli was awarded the Scholarship of Gustav Ernesaks Foundation and was given the title of Choir Conductor of the Year by the Estonian Choral Society. In 2017 Heli was elected to hold the post of artistic director and conductor of the 12th Youth Song Celebration ‘Here I’ll Stay’ in Estonia.
While away from music, Heli is fascinated by the stunning beauty of Estonian nature and everything related to greenery and plants. She takes joy in the process of growing things, for example blossoms and fruits, and all which gives energy and vitality.