The first Baltic Music Days hosted by Estonian Music Days is free and online

Estonian Music Days & Baltic Music Days 2021 will be online-only, due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. The festival runs from April 22 to May 2 with concerts streamed from various Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian venues through the festival's website.

The Baltic Music Days festival takes place for the first time and will see performers and composers from all three Baltic states. The festival was initiated by the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Composers' Unions umbrella organisation, the Baltic Contemporary Music Network.

Klassikaraadio, LR3 "Klasika" and LRT "Klasika" will also carry concerts, while the event is open to voluntary donations. Availability online might give the festival a wider reach than in-person events had done in previous years. Mari-Liis Rebane, the festival's managing director said: "We want to expand both local and international audiences through online concerts."

Every year the Estonian Music Days festival has a theme permeating its concerts. The focus of the 2021 festival is “DNA”, which seeks a dialogue between our biological genetics, cultural origins, musical thinking, and science. This concept also links the shared background of, but also differences between, Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians.

World Premieres by the following composers:
Antoine Beuger, Platon Buravicky, Madli Marje Gildemann, Elis Hallik, Lauri Jõeleht, Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, Ülo Krigul, Alisson Kruusmaa, Kristjan Kõrver, Maria Kõrvits, Märt-Matis Lill, Taivo Lints, Rita Mačiliūnaitė, Riho Esko Maimets, Malle Maltis, Elo Masing, Anna-Margret Noorhani, Aaro Pertmann, Ramus Puur, Evelin Seppar, Liina Sumera, Mirjam Tally, Mariliis Valkonen, Ardo Ran Varres, Age Veeroos, Aleksandr Žedeljov.

The works will be performed by Baltic contemporary ensembles and collectives:
Synaesthesis, Twenty Fingers Duo, Sinfonietta Riga String Quartet, Quadra, piano duo Kadri-Ann Sumera & Talvi Hunt, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Trio HETK, Ensemble for New Music Tallinn, Estonian Electronic Music Society Ensemble (EMA), EMTA Sinfonietta, Ensemble U:, YXUS and Iris Oja.

The winner of the new music award LHV Au-tasu 2021 will be announced as part of the festival on the 30th of April.

Following editions of the Baltic Music Days will take place in Kaunas (2022), Riga (2023) and Tartu (2024).

While it is the first year for the combined Baltic festival, the Estonian Composers' Union has been organising Estonian Music Days since 1979.


Baltic Music Days & Estonian Music Days 2021 festival website: www.balticmusicdays.eu

Photo: Tallinn Chamber Orchestra by Kaupo Kikkas