RISTO JOOST

CONDUCTOR

Orchestral and opera conductor. Conductor of the Year 2009 (in Estonia)!

Eesti keeles / in Estonian

Biography*

Conductor and singer Risto Joost (b 1980) studied singing as well as choral and orchestral conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and received further training at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In spring 2008 Risto Joost graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm majoring in orchestral conducting with Prof Jorma Panula. He has attended the conducting master classes by Neeme Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Eri Klas, Paul Mägi and in early music master classes by Paul Hillier and Nigel North.
In 1999 Risto Joost founded the chamber choir Voces Musicales, in 2002, an instrumental Ensemble Voces Musicales was established. Since September 2006 Risto Joost is the principal conductor of the Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra, and since 2008 also of the Tallinn Sinfonietta founded by him. Since autumn 2009 Risto Joost holds the position of chorus director and orchestra conductor at the Estonian National Opera and since 2010 the artistic adviser to Glasperlenspiel Festival.
In March 2004, Risto Joost won the 1st prize in the 4th Competition for Young Estonian Choral Conductors in Tallinn. He has conducted the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Corelli Baroque Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra as well as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Male Choir RAM, Swedish Radio Choir, State Choir Latvija, Ars Nova Copenhagen, the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Since year 2000 Risto Joost has regularly participated in the Estonian Music Days and Nyyd Festival, conducting approximately 50 première performances commissioned from various composers.
In June 2007 he made his debut in the Estonian National Opera conducting Erkki-Sven Tüür’s opera Wallenberg. In May, 2009 he staged Mozart’s opera La Finta Giardiniera with the opera studio of the Estonian Academy of Music. In September 2009 two one-act operas – DMeeter by Monika Mattiesen and Fire Sorcerers by Age Hirv – saw stage-light under his baton.
He has conducted orchestras at Riga International Saxophone Festival (2009), at the Glasperlenspiel Festival, Estonian National Male Choir and Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra concert in the frames of Vilnius – European Culture Capital 2009 and at Tenso International Choir Festival 2009. One of the general conductors of the Estonian National Song Festival 2009 was Risto Joost. Throughout the concert season of 2009/2010 Risto Joost will continue his work with the Tallinn Music High School Symphony Orchestra and Tallinn Sinfonietta as well as on several opera projects at the opera studio of the Estonian Academy of Music. He has been invited to conduct orchestras in Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, the Netherlands and Lithuania.

Risto Joost also pursues an active solo career as a counter-tenor. His solo repertoire includes music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods as well as from the 20th and 21st centuries. He has performed at the Steve Reich Festival (UK), Musica Antiqua Festival in Bruges (Belgium), Vantaa Early Music Festival (Finland), Stockholm Early Music Festival (Sweden), Riga Early Music Festival (Latvia), Haapsalu Early Music Festival (Estonia), and Nyyd Festival (Estonia). He has performed with orchestras such as Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Baroque Orchestra, Meder Consort (Estonia), Corelli Consort (Estonia), Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, Sansara (Latvia), Øresund Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen (Denmark), Kronos Quartet, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Phantasm (UK). Since 2003 he has been involved with the vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices (artistic director Paul Hillier).

* Use of all other biographical material is unauthorized

 

Repertoire

Baroque music
Wiener Klassik (classical period)
Contemporary music

Discography

ARVO PÄRT. PILGRIM’S SONG Award: Record of the Year 2009! (Choral Music category, Estonia)
Performed by: Chamber Choir Voces Musicales and Tallinn Sinfonietta
ERP 2309
Download, Arvo Pärt Te Deum, fragm, 3 min 42 sec, mp3, 3.5 MB

LP: PEETER VÄHI. A CHANT OF BAMBOO
Performed by: Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Slava Grigoryan, Neeme Punder, Nils Rõõmussaar, Andres Uibo. Live (listen to the concert)
ERP 1006
Download: Peeter Vähi A Chant Of Bamboo, fragm, live rec, 3 min 19 sec, mp3, 3.5 MB

RENÉ EESPERE. DE SPE
Performed by: François Soulet, Jelena Voznesenskaya, Sauli Tiilikainen, René Soom, Anu Lamp, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
ERP 1909
Download, René Eespere, Clarinet Concerto, fragm, 104 sec, mp3, 1613 KB

FRIDRICH BRUK. IN THE FINNISH MODE
Poem
Performed by: Tallinn Sinfonietta
F&NB CD-12
Download, Tallinn Sinfonietta & Risto Joost, Poem for 10 Soloists, fragm, 2 min 33 sec, mp3, 2.4 MB

Download, Arvo Pärt Tabula rasa, 3 min 35 sec, mp3, 3.4 MB

EESTI HELILOOJAD / ESTONIAN COMPOSERS (VI) Brand new!
Music by Tulev, Tally, Kõrvits, Veeroos, Lill, Kozlova
ERP 1909

Listen also live recordings with Risto Joost: oratorios, Baroque, Estonian music, contemporary music, chamber orchestras, choirs, sacred music
 

Press resonance

Risto Joost is a young man dividing himself between singing and conducting. For him it does not seem to be a problem to float with elegant ease from the one shore of the purity of Gregorian chant to the other of the extreme complexity of sounds in the contemporary music. (Mirjam Tally, Eesti Ekspress, Estonia)
Risto Joost’s feeling of Bach’s music is very precise and free of sentiment. No juggling or playing around with emotions. And strange as it might seem, this creates (possibly also in the players?) a special feeling of liberation, giving each and every one a chance to fill the music with one’s personal inner richness. (Postimees, 11.01.07, Estonia)
In Estland wird so etwas auf Weltniveau kultiviert... Die Musik blüht auf zu spirituellen Höhen... Chorleiter Risto Joost präsentiert sich als einer der Großen seines Fachs. Wertung: ***** (12.06.10, Achener Zeitung, Germany, whole article)
... kapellimestari Risto Joost johti teosken suurin ja ekspressiivisin, toisaalta tarkoin elein, joihin orkesteri vastasi hyvin auliisti, ja tuloksena oli värikylläistä ja mukaansatempaavaa soitantaa. /.../ Risto Joost johti musiikkia suuria linjoja maalaillen ja sai soittajiston innostettua mukaansa romanttiseen sointihurmioon, joka varsinkin sinfonian Adagio-osassa kasvoi huikaiseviin korkeuksiin. (Petteri Pitko, Keskipohjanmaa, 02.03.10, Finland, whole article)
Koori juhatas Risto Joost, ma väga hindan teda. Ta on professionaalne noor inimene, kes tahab asju hästi teha. (Neeme Järvi, Eesti Päevaleht, 30.06.09, Estonia)
... dirigeeris Risto Joost. Avateos “Also sprach Nietzsche” (“Nõnda kõneles Nietzsche”) veenis oma ürgjõulisusega. ... “Ülim vaikus” mõjutas kuulajaid oma sugestiivsuse ja kõlakontrastidega. Imetlusväärne oli kellade ansambli täpne töö... Dirigent pani tavapärase käteliigutusega vaikuse “käima” ning publik ja esinejad suutsid ideaalilähedast vaikust säilitada umbes viis minutit. Kulminatsiooniks kujunes teose IV osa... Siin segunesid palved /.../ kõiksuse tunnetusega. (Alo Põldmäe, Sirp, 31.07.09, Estonia, whole article)
... kunagi varem ei ole üks dirigent või koor saanud kolme preemiat korraga. Aasta dirigendiks 2009 valiti Risto Joost, aasta kooriks tema kammerkoor Voces Musicales ning aasta kooriplaadiks nende möödunud sügisel valminud CD “Pilgrim’s Song” Arvo Pärdi muusikaga /.../ vahendas ERR Uudised. (Postimees, 24.01.10, Estonia, whole article)
Dirigent teab oma määratus musikaalsuses ja intelligentsuses, mida ta tahab, ja saab selle oma tohutu sisendusjõuga muusikutelt ka kätte. Kõikide teoste esituses on tunda suurt keskendumist, äärmiselt pühendunud sisseelamist. (Kersti Inno, Muusika, 1 / 2010, Estonia)
... Pärdi “Te Deum”. Tegemist oli suure õnnestumisega: Risto Joost kujundas väga hea terviku... Kuid kõige märkimisväärsemaks kujunes selle ettekande eriline vaimsus ja sügavus. Vahel võrreldakse /.../ Voces Musicalest ja Filharmoonia Kammerkoori... mulle meeldis Vocese esitus rohkem. Ei tea, kas see tuleb sellest, et ühtedele on see töö, aga teised musitseerivad oma vabast ajast ja tahtest... (Maarja Kindel, Muusika, 11 / 2009, Estonia)
Allan Vurma hindab teda lauljana: “Risto Joosti iseloomustab suur musikaalsus, tema esitatud karakterid on värvikad ja kaasakiskuvad ning samas muusikaliselt täpsed. Lauldava teksti fraseerimine kannab hästi edasi mõtet.” Esinemisi, enda proovilepanekut on nii noore muusiku kohta tõepoolest kuhjaga. (Priit Kuusk, Sirp, 04.12.09, Estonia)

Download: photo of Risto Joost by Kaupo Kikkas / Eesti Foto, jpg, 300 dpi, 1570 KB

See also: concert schedule of Risto Joost
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