Vardo Rumessen has recorded most of piano and chamber music by Rudolf Tobias, Mart Saar, Heino Eller, Eduard Oja and Eduard Tubin. He is recognized as a master performer of Eduard Tubin’s piano music. Rumessen was a personal friend of Tubin and had the opportunity to discuss the composer’s intentions in depth. Eduard Tubin has to a high degree authorized Vardo Rumessen’s interpretations of his music. Rumessen performed the American première of Tubin’s Piano Concertino in 1993 with the Longview Symphony Orchestra. Also, Rumessen is the founder and artistic director of the festival “Eduard Tubin ja tema aeg” (‘Eduard Tubin And His Time’) organized by Eesti Kontsert, the National Concert Institute of Estonia since 2001. He is also the chairman of the board of International Eduard Tubin Society. 

Rumessen has performed works by Beethoven, Franck, Tobias and Tubin for piano and orchestra with the Estonian and Göteborg symphony orchestras, conducted by the late Peeter Lilje and Neeme Järvi. He has also performed frequently in ensemble with numerous singers, violinists, cellists, string quartets and other musicians.

Although Rumessen has achieved his success mainly as a performer of Estonian classical music, he has performed a lot of music from other parts of the world. His largest undertakings have been such as the complete Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier I”, Scriabin’s 10 sonatas, Chopin’s 27 etudes, Rachmaninoff’s 15 etudes-tableaux, etc.

Rumessen is not only the foremost performer of Estonian piano music but also a musicologist with a vast knowledge of Estonian music. He has published a lot of Estonian music, by R Tobias, M Saar, E Oja and H Eller, which have naturally found a place in Rumessen’s repertoire as both soloist and ensemble player. Among other works he restored and published R Tobias’ oratorio “Jonah’s Mission”. In addition, Rumessen has written many articles and has served as an editor of several books about Rudolf Tobias, Mart Saar, Artur Kapp, Eduard Oja, Eduard Tubin and others.

Other performers

Teet Järvi is a graduate of the Tallinn Secondary School of Music, where he studied under Laine Leichter, followed by the Estonian Academy of Music, as a student of Prof  Peeter Paemurru. He went on to study in Moscow with Natalia Shakhovskaya, Mikhail Homitser and Ivan Monighetti. In 1974, Järvi won 1st prize in a young cellists competition in Czechoslovakia. He also won the national (1981) and Baltic (1976) competitions. From 1982–90 Järvi was concertmaster for the cello section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. He has often performed as a soloist with orchestra, played as a member of the Tallinn String Quartet and the Baltic Trio in many European countries and the USA, and performed as a solo cellist. Since 1993 Järvi has been employed in Finland, where he performs with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and the string quartet FinEst, and teaches cello at the Lahti Higher School of Music.

Urmas Vulp graduated from the Tallinn Secondary School of Music in 1972, where he studied piano under Ivi Tivik. In 1978 he graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music as a violinist studying with Prof Vladimir Alumäe. He studied under Prof Yevgenia Tschugayeva at the Moscow Conservatory, which he graduated in 1981. That same year, Vulp won 2nd prize at a national strings competition. Since 1981, Urmas Vulp has been violin teacher at the Estonian Academy of Music. His initiative led to the founding, in 1984, of the Tallinn String Quartet, in which he plays first violin. He has performed, both with quartets and as a soloist in many countries.

The Tallinn String Quartet was founded on the initiative of Urmas Vulp in 1984. Along with performances abroad, the quartet has performed numerous concerts in venues around Estonia and taken part in local music festivals. In the 1996–97 season, the quartet played a 5-part series entitled devoted to the 250th anniversary of the string quartets, providing a cross-section of the genre through different eras. The Tallinn String Quartet’s extensive repertoire places a special emphasis on Estonian composers. The quartet has recorded 4 CDs, including 2 ones for the Swedish label BIS; their Tobias string quartets recording has won international acclaim.

Maaja Rumessen (soprano) is a 1972 graduate of the Estonian Academy of Music, where she studied under Linda Saul. She has sung in the Estonian National Opera’s opera choir since 1972 and has appeared as a soloist. As a chamber singer, she has performed programmes featuring solo songs by many Estonian (Saar, Tubin, Oja) and Latvian composers (Kalninš, Zalitis).

Ivo Kuusk graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music in 1967 and went on to study at the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow. Since 1978, he was a featured soloist of the Estonian National Opera. He has also been a chamber and oratorio singer. Since 1979, he has taught at the Estonian Academy of Music. His repertoire includes over 80 opera and operetta roles. He has performed with the “Estonia” Theatre in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, and Russia, among other countries.

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