{"id":3037,"date":"2012-06-08T03:20:15","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T00:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kuvaja.ee\/projektid\/epcc_web\/?page_id=3037"},"modified":"2026-10-08T13:36:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T10:36:29","slug":"the-choir","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.epcc.ee\/en\/the-choir\/","title":{"rendered":"The Choir"},"content":{"rendered":"

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir<\/h1>\n
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Photo: Anneli Ivaste<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe choir\u2019s exceptionally soft and pure sound immediately stands out. The sound is transparent yet gently veiled, almost mystical.\u201d (\u2013 La Presse)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A two-time Grammy Award winner and a recipient of a Gramophone Award, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) is one of Estonia\u2019s most internationally acclaimed musical ensembles.\u00a0Founded in 1981 by T\u00f5nu Kaljuste, he was succeeded as Chief Conductor by Paul Hillier (2001\u20132007), Daniel Reuss (2008\u20132013), and Kaspars Putni\u0146\u0161 (2014\u20132021). Since the 2021\/2022 season, T\u00f5nu Kaljuste has once again served as the choir\u2019s Artistic Director and Chief Conductor.<\/p>\n

The EPCC has earned widespread praise from the international music press for its unique sound, extraordinary performances combining intimacy and intensity, and distinctive interpretations of the music by Estonian composer Arvo P\u00e4rt.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quality of this concert can be summarized in one phrase: magnificent from beginning to end. The EPCC singers clearly are highly seasoned in this repertoire, evident in their unforced ensemble blend and excellent tone.\u201c
\n(\u2013 St Louis Arts Scene)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Performing regularly at prestigious venues around the world, the EPCC embraces a diverse repertoire spanning a cappella<\/em> programmes and large-scale choral works with its accomplished singers combining a refined ensemble sound with a command of musical styles ranging from the Baroque to contemporary works. At the heart of its repertoire is the music of Estonian composers such as Veljo Tormis, Arvo P\u00e4rt, Erkki-Sven T\u00fc\u00fcr and T\u00f5nu K\u00f5rvits, whose works the choir has championed internationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe musicians and Kaljuste are longtime P\u00e4rt collaborators. They understand the sound, a balance of precise intonation, slightly underplayed expression, and an uncanny mix of severity, warmth, physical delicacy and emotional robustness.\u00a0\/…\/ \u00a0the playing so focused and immersive that the experience grow deeper and more gripping, note by note, until the musicians built something of their own sacred space inside Zankel.\u201c
\n(\u2013 New York Classical Review)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The EPCC has collaborated with some of the most distinguished conductors and orchestras, including Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Marc Minkowski, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Stephen Layton, Neeme J\u00e4rvi, Paavo J\u00e4rvi, the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Philip Glass Ensemble, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Concerto Copenhagen, the Academy of Ancient Music and Estonia\u2019s leading orchestras.<\/p>\n

Its international engagements have taken the EPCC to many of the world\u2019s most prestigious stages and festivals, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wiener Konzerthaus, Barbican Centre in London, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, BBC Proms, Salzburg\u2019s Mozartwoche, Shanghai International Arts Festival, the International Cervantino Festival, Festival d\u2019Aix-en-Provence etc.<\/p>\n

\u201cWitness the large crowds at a late-night Prom, performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the conductor T\u00f5nu Kaljuste with understated brilliance, unexpected warmth and exquisite sound.\u201c
\n(\u2013 The Times)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Photo: Anneli Ivaste<\/p><\/div>\n

Recording has played an equally important role in the EPCC\u2019s artistic legacy. Its extensive discography, released on labels including ECM, Harmonia Mundi, Ondine, BIS Records and Berlin Classics, has received numerous international accolades. The choir has won two Grammy Awards: for\u00a0Arvo P\u00e4rt: Da Pacem<\/em>\u00a0with Paul Hillier in 2007 and\u00a0Arvo P\u00e4rt: Adam\u2019s Lament<\/em> with T\u00f5nu Kaljuste in 2014. Its recordings have received 16 Grammy nominations in total, as well as a Gramophone Award, Diapason d\u2019Or, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Danish Music Award, de Choc de l\u2019Ann\u00e9e Classica 2014, Prix Caecilia, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder Kaljuste, in these performances by Concerto Copenhagen and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, P\u00e4rt\u2019s music is transformed into a dramatic chiaroscuro of Caravaggio-like bold colours and contrasts, bringing music and text vividly to life.\u201c (\u2013 Gramophone)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2020,\u00a0BBC Music Magazine\u00a0named the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir among the ten best choirs in the world, and in 2024 Classic FM likewise placed the ensemble in its global top ten.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is no ordinary performance, but a collective meditation, a form of sonic Zen. Listeners are invited not merely to appreciate the mysteries of musical form, but to experience the spiritual dimension of sound.\u201c (\u2013zhuanlan.zhihu.com)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir \u201cThe choir\u2019s exceptionally soft and pure sound immediately stands out. 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