WATCH: Estonian National Symphony Orchestra's 100th season opening concert
The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO) opened its 100th season Friday with a festive concert featuring works by Beethoven, Schumann and Estonia's own Heino Eller.
Conducted by Olari Elts, Friday's program began with Eller's symphonic poem "Dawn" ("Koit"), one of the Estonian composer's most frequently performed works.
South Korean pianist Yekwon Sunwoo then joined the orchestra for Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor, often described as a musical love letter to his wife, Clara Schumann, who premiered the work.
Sunwoo, an alum of the Curtis Institute of Music and Juilliard, rose to international prominence after winning the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and has since performed with leading orchestras and on major stages worldwide.
The evening concluded with Ludwig van Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 5 in C minor.
More concerts to come
ERSO's season opening concert was broadcast in cooperation with Klassikaraadio, with Nele-Eva Steinfeld hosting.
The award-winning Estonian orchestra's centennial season continues with a South Korean tour featuring works by Schumann and Beethoven alongside Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits' "Hymns to the Northern Lights."
In early October, ERSO will perform at the Festival TubIN with conductor Mihhail Gerts and violinist Hans Christian Aavik.
ERR's culture portal will stream more ERSO concerts in full throughout the fall.
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Editor: Kaspar Viilup, Aili Vahtla
