The Tallinn Baroque Orchestra

The Tallinn Baroque Orchestra gave its first concerts in June 1986 and is closely connected with the development of early music interpretation in Estonia. At present it is the only orchestra here which plays on period instruments, being one of the few continuously active baroque orchestras in eastern Europe. The Talinn Baroque Orchestra has developed into an independent and prominent orchestra, its musicians represent the best performers of baroque music in Estonia. The extensive repertoire ranging from the early baroque to classicism (plus modern Estonian music) requires excellent qualities from the musicians. The artistic leader and the initiator or the orchestra is its manager and leading cellist Egmont Välja.

Though the orchestra usually performs without directing, it has worked with many famous conductors (W. Kuijken, H. Gebhart, L.Krämer, S.Layton and others), choirs and soloists (S.-L. Kaakinen, K.-M. Kentala, M. Bellini, I. Monighetty and others). In August last year the orchestra and the ensemble Studio Vocale performed with Toomas Siitan all the twelve preserved Cantatas by Nicolaus Bruhns. In this season they have performed concert series introducing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Music from the World.

In addition to active concert performances the Tallinn Baroque Orchestra has made recordings for different Estonian radio stations and the Estonian Television. In 1997 were recorded CDs with Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Bach's St. Mark Passion with Hans Gebhard. The orchestra has performed at various festivals in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe.

The Tallinn Baroque Orchestra has taken part in all Haapsalu Early Music Festivals, both in the cast of grand vocal works and with separate programmes. The most memorable moments of the festival have been Händal's Messiah, performed with Haapsalu Festival Choir and soloists in 1995, and the concert performance of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 1996.