One of the most original contemporary composers in Estonia whose musical language comprises Oriental and Western, avant-garde and archaic, electronic and acoustic without falling into eclectic abracadabra.

In Estonian / Eesti keeles

News (2008)

New! Record “Chrysanthemum Garden” by CCn’C Records (Germany)
Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus, Matsubara Chifuru, Fujisaki Shigeyasu (shinobue-flute), Girl’s Choir Ellerhein, Tiia-Ester Loitme, Sevara Nazarkhan (vocal, Usbekistan)

Jan – Mar 2008: performances of “In Memoriam HM” (arrangements for symphony orchestra as well as early music consort) in Moscow, Luxemburg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland

Mar – Apr 2008: performances of  “Digital Love” in Germany by the soloists of the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra

Jul – Aug 2008: photo exhibition “Silk Road” at Tartu University Café

30th Aug 2008: première of “Call Of Sacred Drums” at Grafenegg Festival (Austria)
 

Biography

Peeter Vähi was born in Estonia, in 1955. In his youth he learned to play the accordion, the piano and the double bass. In 1974 he began composition studies in the Estonian Academy of Music under the supervision by Prof Eino Tamberg, graduating as composer in 1980. Peeter Vähi has worked as a free-lance composer and a record producer; also as a concert producer in the Estonian National Concert Institute (1990–2000). Currently he is the artistic director of ERP (Estonian Record Productions) and of international music festivals – Eastern Music Festival Orient (1992 – present day), Glasperlenspiel Festival (1995 – present day). He is a member of the board of Estonian Composers’ Union, of the Culture Foundation Council of the Estonian President (2001–08), the vice-chairman of the council of the Estonian Institute of Buddhism, a full member of Estonian Academic Oriental Society, and the president of Drikung Kagyu Ratna Shri Centre (1992–2005).

Peeter Vähi’s works are characterized by broad-minded stylistic versatility, listener-friendly sound, skilful application of exotic instruments and electronic facilities, a wide range of moods from philosophical and meditative right through to baroque movements. His most important works are To His Highness Salvador D and Mystical Uniting for chamber ensemble, Pastoral Of Computerized World for flute, cello and piano, Supreme Silence for mezzo-soprano, male choir and handbells, Chant Of The Celestial Lake for flute and orchestra, cantata Green Tārā for female soloist, female choir, trombones and percussions, A Chant Of Bamboo for shinobue-flute and chamber orchestra.

Vähi’s music has been performed by European, Asian and American orchestras (among them the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra), chamber (Slava Grigoryan, Gidon Kremer) and ethno musicians (Sevara Nazarkhan, Hiroyuki Koinuma) and naturally, by most of the Estonian top musicians such as Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Male Choir RAM, Early Music Consort Hortus Musicus, the Järvi “dynasty”, etc. In addition to the conventional venues, concerts of Vähi’s music have taken place on the open-air stage of World Exhibition EXPO 2000, in Roerich Museum, in the Royal Palace of Sweden. His music has been performed at the Estonian National Song Festivals, in the White House in Washington DC, in a Japanese Buddhist Temple, at the 50th anniversary celebrations of UNESCO in Strasbourg and at the Luzhniki Arena in Moscow.

Vähi’s works have been published by Erdenklang Musikverlag, Eres Edition, Edition 49, ERP, CultureWare Music Publ, and Maren Musikverlag. His music has been released on more than 50 records, including 10 solo-albums.

As a keyboarder Peeter Vähi has performed with different ensembles, orchestras and choirs (including the 30,000-members choir at the Estonian National Song Festivals). In the recent years Peeter Vähi has been in close co-operation with musicians from Tibet, India, Japan, and other parts of Asia.

Last premières

Prayer-wheel for chamber orchestra, commissioned by European Union Chamber Orchestra, première – Nov 2006, Sweden by Mark Gothoni and EUCO

New Year Cantata for (mixed) boys’ choir and bells, lyrics in Latin – anonymous and Fidelis Rädle, 15 min, 2006, commissioned by Estonian National Opera, première – Riga Dome Church, Dec 9th, 2006

Return To Nowhere for synthesizer and symphony orchestra, commissioned by Estonian Music Festival, premièred by Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in Apr 2007 in Estonia Concert Hall

Last releases

A Chant Of Bamboo. Vinyl! Performed by Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Slava Grigoryan, Neeme Punder, Nils Rõõmussaar, Harry Traksmann, Andres Uibo, Risto Joost. ERP
 

CD, non-physical release, Being And Nothingness In Kostabi’s Atelier. Performed by Siiri Sisask, the soloists of Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. CCn’C Records

Compositions in process

Call Of Sacred Drums for Japanese taiko-ensemble and symphony orchestra, commissioned by Grafenegg Festival, première – Aug 2008  in Austria by Hayashi Eitetsu taiko-ensemble and Vienna Tonkünstler Symphony Orchestra

Soundtrack for TV serial “Silk Road Tour 2007”, autumn 2008, ETV
 

List of main works
Discography
Press resonance

Download photos: Peeter Vähi (Oman, 2003, photo by T Jokinen, jpg, 300 dpi, 840 KB); Peeter Vähi (India, 2003, photo by T Pruuli, jpg, 300 dpi, 1759 KB), drawing (by Andres Adamson, Pärnu Postimees, 2007, jpg, 1810 KB)

Additional info:
www.hot.ee/eoy/engvahi.html
www.estmusic.com/index.php?0132203369
www.zzz.ee/edition49/composers/p_vahi
Wikipedia in English, German, Ukrainian, Estonian

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