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From April 29 to May 1, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and the Arvo Pärt Centre will host an International Student Chamber Music Festival, which will also include the annual conference of the European Chamber Music Teachers’ Association (ECMTA).
„The chamber music festival of the students of the Baltic conservatories, which started in Tallinn in 1976, is an exceptionally good example of the long-term cooperation between the music academies of the region. In recent decades, the event has become more international, with participants from all over Europe. Students from Estonia as well as Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Great Britain and Finland participate in numerous master classes,“ says Marje Lohuaru, professor of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, head of ECMTA and leader of the event.
There are several public and free lectures and concerts within the framework of the International Student Chamber Music Festival.
On April 29, at 2.30 pm, Christiane Louis (France) will give a lecture on „The Portrait of the artist as a citizen. A new vision of artistic activity in France“ at the EAMT Chamber Hall.
David Waterman (Great Britain) will give a lecture on „The Barenreiter Edition of the Beethoven Quartets Edited by Jonathan Del Mar“ in the same hall on April 30 at 1 p.m.
The concerts will take place on April 29 and 30 at 7 pm in the Great Hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre and on May 1 at 1 pm in the Arvo Pärt Centre.
The 100-member European Chamber Music Teachers’ Association was founded in 2007 and brings together music academies as well as chamber music ensembles and festivals. The organization is also open to schools teaching chamber music at various levels of education. From Estonia, the members of ECMTA are the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the youth chamber music festival „In Corpore“, the Heino Eller Music School and the Yxus ensemble.
Learn more: www.ecmta.eu
Otto Iivar’s work “Dunes” (2020), was mentioned at the 15th International Destellos Competition on Electroacoustic Music in Argentina. Otto is currently a master’s student in electroacoustic composition at the EAMT.
The source material for the piece “Dunes” (2020) is hydrophonic recordings of various underwater sounds from the Paul Cziko and McMurdo Oceanographic Observatory. The work explores and highlights the similarities between rare natural sounds and electronically generated ones.
The International Destellos Competition on Electroacoustic Music has been running regularly since 2007 and is open to composers and sound artists from around the world every year. The proposed genres are Acousmatic Music, Mixed and Video-music. The focus of this year’s competition was acousmatic music and the works were judged by various international juries. The competition also marked the 35th anniversary of the appearance of the first digital audio recorder (DAT), presented by the Japanese company Sony in 1987, and 40 years since the appearance of the first commercial CD.
Learn more here.
Consultations for applicants for doctoral studies in music and theatrical arts with preparation of research projects will be held on:
April 11 at 12.00 in Zoom.
Please register by April 10: margit.vosa@eamt.ee
For creative people interested in creative doctoral studies in theater, please contact Madli Pesti (madli.pesti@eamt.ee), the Coordinator of Doctoral Studies at the Drama Department, by April 25. Learn more (in Estonian): https://eamt.ee/vastuvott-teatrikunsti-doktorioppesse/
The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is glad to announce that on 5, 6 and 7 April LoLa Days with Norwegian Academy of Music will take place.
During these days we will have EAMT Lecturer Maksim Štšura giving chamber music lessons to three students’ ensemble in Oslo and Prof. Christopher Park from Norwegian Academy of Music giving piano lessons to 3 EAMT piano students. The Digital Mobility activities will take place in Room D209.
LoLa is a low latency, high quality audio/video transmission system for network musical performances and the EAMT is one of the leading institutions using it, having acquired years of experience in the field of digital mobility. The digital mobility activities are coordinated by the “EAMT working group for development of digital mobility” (Paolo Girol, Innar Jarva and Nikita Shishkov).
By the decision of the Government of the Republic, the national mask wearing obligation will not apply from Sunday, 3 April, as the risk level of the spread of coronavirus fell to the average or yellow level in all indicators.
The obligation to wear a mask in the Academy will also be abolished. However, the recommendation to wear a mask in crowded places, including lectures and events, remains valid.
Please pay attention to hand disinfection and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It is strictly prohibited to come to the academy in the event of even the slightest suspicion of being infected with the virus.
The door of the main building of the EAMT is still locked, but it is not necessary to apply for a special permit for guests outside the house – it is enough if the inviter meets the guests in person.
EAMT Rector’s Office
On 30 March 180 years ago, the 19th-century king of piano Franz Liszt performed in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu. This noteworthy event will be commemorated on 30 March at 18:00 with a piano gala at the same concert venue. Some of the most beautiful and virtuosic pieces of Liszt’s piano works will played in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu by internationally acclaimed pianists Ivari Ilja, Kristi Kapten, Sten Lassmann, Marko Martin, Mati Mikalai, Johan Randvere and Mantas Šernius.
Franz Liszt’s work and activities as a pianist significantly expanded the boundaries of pianism. It could be said that his work gave birth to the profession of a concert pianist as it is understood today. Liszt’s works are part of the repertoire of pianists of all ages, and the techniques and innovations he introduced are the basis of virtuoso piano playing. To this day, pianists are inspired by legends of Liszt’s performances, which were highly captivating and so spectactular that they even caused fainting among the audience.
The idea to celebrate Liszt’s concert in Tartu was born out of an extraordinary find. Namely, the poster of Franz Liszt’s concert in Tartu with the programme performed by Liszt was found in the cultural-historical collection of the Academic Library of Tallinn University. The original poster will also be displayed in the university assembly hall. One of the works to be played at the piano gala will be Liszt’s transcription of Schubert’s “Serenade”, which was performed at the concert 180 years ago.
According to Professor Ivari Ilja, pianist and Rector of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, it is extraordinary to think that such a great musician as Liszt visited Tartu and performed in the university assembly hall. “180 years will pass from that event on 30 March, but everywhere in the world people are still fascinated by his immortal music. Our gala concert is a tribute to the genius of Liszt, to Tartu and to the university,” Ilja said.
A brief overview of Liszt and his concerts in Estonia are given at the beginning of the gala by musicologist Kristel Pappel of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, and art historian Harry Liivrand. Simultaneous interpretation into English is provided at the gala.
The concert is free of charge. However, donations are welcome to the Estonian Red Cross to support Ukraine.
The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre is shocked by the events that are currently taking place in Ukraine in connection with the Russian aggression.
On March 23, the Senate of the EAMT adopted a decision that citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus who do not have a residence permit or international protection in any of the Member States of the European Union cannot apply to study at the university during the academic year 2022/2023. Students already studying in Estonia are not affected by the decision.
The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre will make every effort to contribute to assisting students from Ukraine in accordance with the guidelines of the Republic of Estonia and the European Union on admitting Ukrainian refugees and offering them social guarantees and study opportunities. The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre cooperates with the Ministry of Education and Research and other Estonian universities in this regard. In connection with this, the Academy has amended the provisions of applying for, awarding and paying scholarships and study grants. The Academy offers support and psychological counseling to Ukrainian students already studying at EAMT.
A charity concert with works by Estonian and Ukrainian authors was held at the Great Hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in support of Ukraine on March 6. The ticket revenue was donated by the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Foundation with the help of the Estonian Red Cross.
On March 19, an annual Department of Classical Music Performance piano competition was held in the Great Hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. This time it was dedicated to the outstanding Estonian pianist and professor Valdur Roots, a long-time lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Members of the competition jury, senior lecturer Marko Martin and senior lecturer Mati Mikalai, awarded two second prizes (400 euros). They were awarded to Karolin Sigus (from piano class of senior lecturer Kai Ratassepp and lecturer Mihkel Poll) and Tamara Bláhová (from piano class of lecturer Mihkel Poll).
Congratulations!
Dear Members of the Academy,
Due to the decrease in the number of patients with severe COVID entering the hospital, the Government of the Republic of Estonia abolished the obligation to check the COVID certificate and the closure restriction at 11 pm as of 15 March. Travel isolation rules will apply, and travel restrictions must be considered when traveling.
As the coronavirus is still widespread in Estonia, the obligation to wear a mask in public places applies. The obligation to wear a mask also remains in the study buildings of the EAMT. Please also pay attention to hand disinfection and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It is strictly prohibited to come to the academy in the event of even the slightest suspicion of being infected with the virus.
The door of the main building of the EAMT is still locked, but it is no longer necessary to apply for a special permit for guests outside the house – it is enough if the inviter meets the guests in person.
EAMT Rector’s Office
Sleep week at the Estonian Universities is a collaborative initiative by the psychologists working at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tartu University, Estonian Business School, TTK University of Applied Sciences and the mental health website Peaasi.ee (Head Matters). The main objective of the week is to promote sleep hygiene tips amongst the students and adults.
Why sleep during the stressful times?
A link has been found between sleep and stress that seems a vicious circle: good sleep helps to reduce stress, but especially in high-stress situations the sleep is disturbed, which in turn affects the well-being the next day. Anxiety and worry contribute to the quality of sleep. Additional anxiety may arise about the sleep itself.
So, paying attention to sleep hygiene is essential in these hectic times. Five tips can help you to improve your sleep this week:
Start each day with a positive attitude. Even if the sleep has been shallow, it is possible to start the day with good thoughts and routines. Negative thought patterns can occur automatically. Instead, try to reassure yourself, “Even though I slept a little, the day will be great nevertheless.” Or create a new habit, such as staying outdoors before getting to work and noticing the signs of spring.
Plan intentional breaks for the day. Energy level is not the same throughout the day. For low-energy moments it is worth creating opportunities for physical activity, even a few minutes of exercise or deep breathing exercises. Notice how it supports and refreshes you.
Create a habit that marks the end of the workday. Make a clear gesture that tells you, “The workday is over, it’s time to go and do other things.” It could be closing your work e-mails, taking a walk, etc.
Support your daily rhythm. The body likes a regular rhythm of the day, research says. Although the pace of life is often unpredictable and with busy schedules in many areas, it is worth trying to go to bed every day at 11 pm. Notice if it changes your daily rhythms?
Create more peaceful routines for your sleep. Both during the pandemic and war situations, studies show that in high stress, sleep is affected, accompanied by turbulent dreams. Assure yourself that this is a normal for these times, yet you can tune in to a good night’s sleep. You can try to avoid reading the news a hour before bedtime, it’s better to talk or think about positive things or read something interesting. Positive imagery exercises before going to bed could be used to promote pleasant dreams. It is worth writing down your thoughts in a notebook so that your mind is bright and ready to get refreshed during the sleep.
How to celebrate the sleep week?
Campaign was launched to find sleep songs and 12 authors shared 15 songs, which will be played in the evenings at 11 pm via Instagram Live (look for peaasi.ee). Many thanks to all the authors!
Test your sleep habits here (in Estonian).
On Instagram, emta_psychologist shares daily recommendations and research results to motivate you to make small changes in your sleep habits.
Read more here.
Contact: Elina Kivinukk, EAMT psychologist, elina.kivinukk@eamt.ee
The recommendations are based on materials from Healthier Sleep Magazine and Sleep On It Canada.
