Festival Glasperlenspiel
Sun, July 12th at 9 pm
SETO FANTASY
Dedicated to Jaan Kaplinski
Seto folk ensemble Siidisõsarõ, chamber choir Collegium Musicale, conductor Endrik Üksvärav
Lill (premiere)
The choir Siidisõsarõ is a folklore group founded in 1994, bringing together singers with roots in Setomaa. The choir’s name means “close sisters.” Currently, the ensemble has 11 members, including a karmoška (button accordion) player. Siidisõsarõ preserves and transmits authentic Seto cultural heritage, passed down orally through generations or recorded in earlier manuscripts and audio recordings. Their repertoire includes traditional songs, dances, and games from historic Setomaa, helping to keep the region’s unique traditions alive. In 2009, Seto leelo was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The choir has performed at numerous folklore festivals and cultural events both in Estonia and abroad, earning recognition for their consistent and dedicated work. In 2010, they received the highest category at the “Baltica” folklore festival review. The ensemble has released four audio recordings.
Conductor and singer Endrik Üksvärav graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a degree in choral conducting under Olev Oja and Hirvo Surva, and studied singing in the Early Music Department at the Royal Conservatoire in Hague. He has conducted several wind orchestras, chamber orchestras, and chamber choirs, and has participated in masterclasses with Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Jorma Panula, Eri Klas, and Anders Eby. As a vocal soloist, Endrik Üksvärav has performed at the Utrecht Early Music Festival, the Nargenfestival, and the Tallinn International Bach Festival. In 2012, Üksvärav received the Cultural Endowment of Estonia award for his successful work as a soloist and conductor, and as the founder of the Pühalepa Music Festival.
The chamber choir Collegium Musicale was founded in 2010 at the initiative of conductor Endrik Üksvärav. The choir’s aim is to enrich Estonia’s musical landscape and to offer high-level musical experiences both in Estonia and abroad. Its repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to contemporary music. An important place is given to early music as well as to works by Estonian composers such as Pärt, Tormis, Tüür, Tulve, Kõrvits, Uusberg and others. The choir has collaborated with conductors including Tõnu Kaljuste, Andres Mustonen, Aapo Häkkinen, Kaspars Putninš, Jos van Veldhoven and Simon Carrington, as well as with orchestras and ensembles such as the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Klaaspärlimäng Sinfonietta, the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Corelli Baroque Orchestra, the baroque orchestra Barrocade, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Among Collegium Musicale’s most recent recordings are Mass of Mary (ERP, 2022), which was named Classical Album of the Year at the Estonian Music Awards 2023, and Cyrillus Kreek. Sacred Folk Tunes (ERP, 2023). The choir has given concerts and participated in festivals in Italy, France, Russia, Germany, Malta, Poland, Finland, the Czech Republic, Israel, and Japan. In 2018, the Music Endowment of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia awarded conductor Endrik Üksvärav and the chamber choir Collegium Musicale its annual prize in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the promotion of Estonian choral music and its dedicated and high-level presentation both in Estonia and abroad.
Organizers:
Peeter Vähi – artistic director
Tiina Jokinen – executive director
Kadri Kiis – producer, accountant
Meeta Vardja – musicologist, editor of festival booklet
Mart Kivisild – design
Olavi Sööt – co-producer, video, logistics
Reno Hekkonens – marketing director, PR
Johannes Vähi – co-producer, webmaster, sound engineering, logistics
Rebeca Birk – social media
Special thanks: Tartu City Government, Urmas Klaas, Triin Käpp, Jana Raud, Ministry of Culture of Estonia, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Canon and Overall, St John’s church, Kaupo Kiis, Kristel Leppik, volunteers
Next Glasperlenspiel: July 8th – 13th, 2027
