Category: Uncategorized

Due to the health risks and recommended precautions related to the global outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), public concerts and events organized by the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EAMT) will not take place from 13th of March to 30th of April.

Based on the recommendations of the Government of the Republic of Estonia as well as the Health Board and taking into consideration the potential risks, the management of EAMT has decided to cancel the events organized by the Academy.

“It is obvious that organizing events with large crowds and international elements is currently considered as complicated and unsafe for the public, staff and performers alike. We certainly want to prevent the situation from escalating, and we prioritize everyone’s security as our first concern,” comments Henry-David Varema, Vice-Rector for Creative Affairs and International Relations at the EAMT.

If deemed possible, events will be not cancelled but rather postponed to the second half of the year. Currently no decisions have been made yet, but in order to stay informed about the events, please follow emtasaalid.ee for further information.

These are temporary measures. The Estonian Academy of Music and Theater follows the recommendations of the Health Board and national regulations and assesses the situation on an ongoing basis.

Due to the health risks and precaution measures caused by the pandemic spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a series of temporary emergency measures are implemented at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Study activities are will continue at the time being, but to prevent the risk of an outbreak, people are advised to follow pertinent cautionary measures.

Working and studying activities are to be rearranged as follows:

• ALL Academy-sponsored international travel is prohibited; already arranged Academy-sponsored travel to the countries stated as risk areas by the Estonian Health Board will be annulled.

• Anyone, who returns or arrives from a location stated as a risk area by the Estonian Health Board, is asked not to visit the EAMT premises for two weeks after returning to Estonia and to rearrange their teaching or studying activities accordingly.

  As of March 12, Coronavirus risk areas are China, South-Korea, Japan, Singapore, Italy, Germany, France, Austria (especially Tirol ski resorts). Please follow the updates on the homepage of the Estonian Health Board.

• Visits by the guest lecturers coming from the risk areas to be cancelled or postponed.

• Anyone who has visited a risk area recently, should immediately inform the head of academic structure or direct superior, students should informed their study registrar.

• Members of the faculty, who know that some student of theirs has recently visited a risk area, should inform the Registry and Student Affairs Department and let this student know that s/he is not allowed to enter the EAMT premises.

• In general, guests are not allowed to enter the EAMT premises as the entrance is possible only with the authorized electronic entrance card.

• The public concerts and other events organized by EAMT are cancelled until 30 April.

These precautionary measures are temporary. EAMT will continue to review the situation following the advice of the Health Board and Government of Estonia. The academy’s emergency measures are effective March 13 until the overall situation has stabilized or new measures are established.

Please follow the Health Board advice in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak that can be found HERE.

For the second time, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre has made it to the QS World University Rankings bu Subject, which is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world.

“Undoubtedly it reflects the high quality of EAMT and we are content and very happy to have secured our Academy on the world map of the universities,” explains Rector Ivari Ilja. “As the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre aspires to be known for its excellence in teaching and research, it shows that we are on the right path,” he adds.

EAMT, having been the first music university from Baltic states included in the QS list,  is currently holding the position no 51-100 in the category of performing arts among such reputable music academies as Cologne and Munich (Germany), the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg (Denmark), Royal Northern College of Music (UK) and St Petersburg Conservatoire (Russia).

The top three performing arts institutions in 2020 are the The Julliard School (USA), London Royal College of Music (UK) and Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien (Austria) followed by the London Royal Academy of Music (UK), New York University (US) and London Guildhall School of Music and Drama (UK). Helsinki University of the Arts Sibelius Academy (Finland), ranked as 6th in 2018 and 12th in 2019, is currently holding the 13th position.

The QS Rankings are released every year and provide lists of universities based on surveys, diversity, and much more. It is monitored by both partners and students to learn about the nature and capability of universities.

The full list of performing arts universities is available here.

Our warmest congratulations go to pianist Piret Mikalai, who was awarded the Yamaha scholarship of 1000 €.

The scholarship competition took place on 28 February in the Concert hall of the EAMT in participation of 13 full time piano students. The jury assessing the competition consisted of Senior Lecturer Mati Mikalai and Professor Toivo Nahkur.

Piret Mikalai is studying under Prof. Peep Lassmann and Lecturer Mihkel Poll.

EAMT announces the competition for student projects

The deadline for project drafts: February 20, 2020 at 12:00

The preliminary project plan has to include:
– the title and purpose of the project;
– summary, target group, preliminary budget;
– expected outcomes of the project;
– responsible organiser of the project, team and potential partners;
– contact datas (e-mail, phone, account no)

The competition jury will select the most promising ideas. These ideas/teams will be participating in the 3-months Creative Business Development program STARTERtallinn (starting February 26). The jury will assess the developed ideas again in the end of May and up to three best projects will be granted a scholarship in order to implement the idea.

The prize fund is 800 €.

The jury will prefer sustainable creative projects and business ideas with a specific output. Students of all levels (BA, MA, and Doctoral degree) are welcome to submit their ideas to the competition.

Jury will select winners according to the terms and conditions of the competition The selected projects have to be implemented during one calendar year after the competition; the projects have to be publicly introduced as being held under the aegis of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and the winners of competition must follow the requirements of the competition rules.

The deadline for submitting projects is at 12:00 on February 20, 2020. Projects have to be submitted electronically to e-mail projektikonkurss@ema.edu.ee in Estonian or in English.

Information: Marko Lõhmus, marko@ema.edu.ee, (Cultural Management)

MAKE YOUR IDEA HAPPEN!

The Yamaha scholarship competition 2020, open to all full time piano students of the EAMT, will take place on Friday, 28 February at 10.00 in the concert hall of EAMT. Candidates will be asked to play a programme of their own choosing with the maximum duration of 25-30 min.

In order to participate, please send your name and programme by 20 February 2020 latest to kai@ema.edu.ee.

One scholarship of 1000€ will be awarded.

Fundraising coach and lecturer Heidi Lehmuskumpu gives a seminar at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre on January 17.

Heidi Lehmuskumpu is a versatile fundraising, communications and arts management specialist. She is focused on developing strategic fundraising in the fields of arts and science. After working as Development Manager in fundraising for four years at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Lehmuskumpu is now a full-time PhD student at the University of the Arts Helsinki, Sibelius Academy. Her research focuses on strategic fundraising at international opera and ballet organizations. In addition, Lehmuskumpu gives lectures and workshops on fundraising.

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is pleased to announce the beginning of receiving admission applications from international students for the academic year 2020-2021! All applications are submitted using the Dreamapply website starting from 15 January.

Before applying, please take your time to get acquainted with our programmes taught in English and general admission info that includes the exact audition periods, how and when to apply, and how high is the application fee.

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre promotes open education and an international study environment. Young talented people, who meet the required standards, are always welcome to study here. The number of international students at our Academy has increased rapidly in recent years: out of a total of approximately 630 students about 160 are from other countries than Estonia.

Implementing the unique LoLa (low latency) streaming technology, the concert “Connecting Traditions” will take place on 20 December 2019 simultaneously in two locations: at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT) and at the Hajibeyov Baku Academy of Music.

LoLa (low latency) technology tool enables real time musical performances where musicians are physically located in remote sites (up to 5000 km) connected by advanced network services with no significant distortion or delay. Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is the first in Estonia to use this tool and has gained rich LoLa experience since the first introduction of LoLa in Tallinn in a concert “Music without Borders” on 5 October 2017 in the framework of the 2nd Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy.

Thanks to the EaPConnect project, LoLa is now available in Eastern Partnership countries. This project sets out to create a regional research and education network in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus with the objective to decrease the digital divide, improve intra-regional connectivity and facilitate participation of local scientists, students and academics in global research and education collaborations.

Organized in connection with the EaPConnect Enlighten Your Research 2018 winning project “MIRCO: Music Instruments Renewal via Contemporary Creation” (project leader Paolo Girol, EAMT), the concert “Connecting Traditions” features top musicians from Estonia and Azerbaijan performing in real time to showcase how seamless connection the R&E networks and LoLa provide.

A world premiere of new composition for traditional instruments Kannel (EST) and Tar (AZ) by Azerbaijani composer Ilaha Qismat forms the heart of this concert. Speeches by high-level guests and performances by artists in Baku and Tallinn, Estonia, connected via R&E networks with LoLa technology will complete the event.

‘Connecting Traditions’ LoLa concert between Azerbaijan and Estonia
20 December 18:00 (EST 16:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan

World Youth Choir is looking for young, talented, experienced singers between 17 and 26 years old, as on July 1st, 2020 (obligatory).

The audition will take place on Friday, 6 December 2019 at 11.00 in the Chamber hall of the EAMT (C-405).

During your audition you will be recorded and asked to perform (in the following order):
1) A range test – one scale sung forte a cappella on an open vowel presenting the entire voice-range;
2) Sight-reading – an unknown exercise that is not prepared in advance. You can use up to 10 minutes to look the exercise through (not using a piano, except for the introduction pitch/cadenza), analyze all tonal and theory components. Then record at first attempt in front of the jury;
3) Prepared score – obligatory choral excerpt from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
4) Prepared aria of choice. Please bring your own piano accompanist!

Summer session
The summer session 2020 will be held from July 30th to August 20th. The rehearsal session in Bonn, Germany will be followed by a tour with concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. The choir will be under the artistic direction of conductors Tan Dun (USA) and Jörn Hinnerk Andresen (DEU) and will perform a programme with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and a commission work by Tan Dun called “Nine”. More detailed info is available at the WYC homepage.

NB! All the expenses during the summer session are covered by the WYC. Nevertheless, the selected singers are expected to pay the participation fee 100€, traveling costs to Germany and back,  the insurance costs + some pocket money for private expenses.

You can sign up for the audition until 29 November 2019 latest by sending an e-mail either to:
Kai Kiiv, International Relations Specialist of the EAMT, kai@ema.edu.ee