This Saturday, March 12 at 14:00, in EAMT Suur Saal Revelia String Ensemble will premiere seven compositions by seven composers who are EAMT students or alumni.

This is a project that brings together the efforts of several EAMT departments and specialties. The composition department, the performance department, and the cultural management department are one of the departments involved in this project. With this initiative, we will be able to show how many excellent professionals have grown up and keep on growing within the academy’s walls.

The interview with the composer and conductor Eladio Aguilar is below.

Tell us about your musical background.

I’m from Spain, particularly the Canary Islands, La Gomera. It’s a little island off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As a response, getting started in the musical industry might be challenging. But I began in my village’s children’s choir and then continued with the trumpet in my village’s music wind orchestra. As a result, I made the decision to pursue music professionally. So I came to Tenerife to pursue a career as a trumpet player, and after several years of working on projects, performing concerts, and even working in restaurants, I chose to relocate myself to Estonia to pursue a degree in composition and orchestra conducting.

How did the idea for a string orchestra concert at EMTA hall come to you? 

This idea came to me after I arranged a concert in Tenerife and  La Gomera, in the Canary Islands last year. There, I formed a string group (orchestra). Otto Ivari, a friend of mine, was one of the composers. I requested him to play some of his music for me. As a result, I performed at the concerts. When I returned to talk with Otto and Malle Maltis, the professor of visual composition at EMTA, we came up with the concept of doing something similar at EMTA. So, we began by the idea of simply playing music, and then we simply came up with the concept of presenting new music.

What is the main idea behind this event? 

Well, the basic premise has altered because it was originally simply an idea to get together with some friends and make some music. However, it has evolved into a serious and essential project since we are now allowing student composers to present their work, which I believe is significant because this is a project that is not coordinated by the university. It is run entirely by and for students. Of course, we have the institution’s cooperation; otherwise, it would not be possible. However, the core notion, or basic idea, is to demonstrate that students are professionals who can provide an excellent and interesting high-level musical production.

Who are the players? 

This would not be feasible without the participation of players, composers, and management students. Basically, the composition department supports all of the composers, and the performance department prepares and assists the players in playing this music, as well as supporting them to participate in such a project, and the event and cultural management department supports us with all of the management that is required in this type of project.

What should the audience expect from the RSE showcase? 

First and foremost, live music is always superior to simply putting on headphones and listening to the feeling of being in a concert hall or even a venue other than a concert hall, such as Play Square.

People should expect to hear incredible new music that has never been performed before, and who knows, maybe one of those pieces or one of these composers may become famous in the future, and people will be able to say, “I was there at the premiere concert.”

Basically, I hope that people will have a great time listening to new music in a live performance, not through headphones, and that they will not only listen to the music but also look at the musicians and share all of the feelings that are there during the concert.

What are your musical ambitions for the future? 

My ambitions as a musician are to continue my education. And learning and gaining enough expertise to offer high-level music projects, music events, and music concerts is one of my life goals. In addition, I would like to devote my professional life to conducting and composing. So, as a conductor and composer, I’d love to be able to make enough money to support myself and my family. And this may be a fantastic project in my life, and I’m taking the first step toward achieving my aim.

The duration of the repertoire is 1 hour to 1:15 hours.

The event is supported by Stanford Music, AS Prike, Taali Mesila OÜ,Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel, AS Bambona.

More information about the event here.

Author: Tanya Korenik, EAMT student