Pärt honored with a concert in Berlin
Tonight (May 19) will see the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and conductor Tõnu Kaljuste performing a composer concert devoted to Arvo Pärt at one of Europe's most renowned concert venues, the Konzerthaus Berlin.
The concert, entitled "Arvo-Pärt-Hommage", is organized as part of Toomas Hendrik Ilves' state visit to Germany in honor of the President Joachim Gauck and First Lady Daniela Schadt, as well as serving to celebrate Arvo Pärt's 80th birthday. Pärt previously lived in Berlin for thirty years, a period during which he wrote the majority of his most important works.
Symbolically, tonight's program will include "Te Deum", which celebrates the beginning of twenty years of collaboration between Pärt and conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, as well as "Adam's Lament", the recording of which saw Kaljuste awarded with a Grammy in 2014.
In addition to the two masterpieces, the program includes a performance of "Salve Regina", written for the 75th birthday of Dr. Hubert Luthe, Bishop of Essen Cathedral and for the 1150th anniversary of the city of Essen, as well as one of Pärt's earliest, yet most performed orchestral works “Cantus in Memoriam of Benjamin Britten”.
The concert is organized in collaboration with the Concert Agency Hans Adler, the Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia, the Estonian Embassy in Berlin and the Arvo Pärt Center.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra have become an in-demand collective for performances of Pärt's music worldwide. The collaborative Estonian collective has been invited to perform at numerous lauded festivals and venues, including the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, the Carnegie Hall in New York, alongside touring extensively across Europe, Australia and the United States.
After tonight's performance at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the collective will be travelling to the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Wales. With this year's festival dedicated to Pärt's 80th birthday celebrations, May 23 will see the choir as well as the orchestra performing with conductor Kristjan Järvi.
Editor: A. Kaer