The Choir of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA choir) is a study choir that has been active for decades. It primarily consists of choral conducting and music pedagogy students, including a significant number of international students. The choir’s repertoire spans Estonian and global choral literature – from early Gregorian chant and polyphony to contemporary world premieres.
EMTA choir has collaborated with various ensembles and orchestras, such as Corelli Baroque Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Over the years, the EMTA choir has been conducted by numerous conductors, including Toomas Kapten, Ants Soots, Kuno Areng, Ants Üleoja, Kare Hanken, Robert Cowles, Jaan-Eik Tulve, Toomas Siitan, Dag Nielsen, Jurjen Hempel, Pärt Uusberg, and Ingrid Mänd.
EMTA choir has performed in Spain, Finland, Russia, Latvia, Portugal, South Korea and various cities across Estonia. Since 2015, it has become a tradition for graduating choral conducting students to present one piece in collaboration with the EMTA Sinfonietta as part of their final concert. Among the most notable recent challenges have been Carl Orff’s opera “Der Mond” conducted by Toomas Kapten in spring 2022 (directed by Thomas Wiederhofer) and participation in the World Choral EXPO in Portugal in autumn of the same year. In February 2024, EMTA choir took part in an international choral symposium-festival in South Korea. From 2010, Tõnu Kaljuste served as the choir’s artistic director for nearly a decade. Currently, this role is held by Hirvo Surva.