The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir’s (EPCC) will return to Toronto to perform a concert of Arvo Pärt, Palestrina, and a world premiere by Estonian/Canadian composer Omar Daniel. The concert will take place on February 3, presented by Soundstreams.
It’s a unique opportunity for local audiences to experience what has been called one of the world’s premiere vocal ensembles.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
“Many consider the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir to be the world’s greatest chamber choir, most famous for their interpretations of music by their beloved countryman Arvo Pärt,” shares Lawrence Cherney, Founding Artistic Director of Soundstreams, in a statement. “This is the sixth time since 2000 that Soundstreams has hosted the EPCC in Toronto. Whether it’s secular or sacred, they bring such deep spirituality to everything they perform. The majestic and acoustically superb St. Paul’s Basilica is one of Toronto’s pre-eminent venues for choral music, another reason why the EPCC’s Toronto concerts usually sell out!”
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir was formed in 1981 as a professional choir. Founder Tõnu Kaljuste served as the choir’s conductor for its first two decades, and returned to the role in 2021. He leads the choir for their 2024 North American tour.
With a repertoire that varies from Gregorian chant to brand new works, the choir maintains a special focus on the work of Estonian composers, including Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Galina Grigoryeva, Toivo Tulev, Tõnu Kõrvits, and Helena Tulve.
The EPCC performs in some 60 to 70 concerts each year, and has worked with many noted conductors during its history, including Ward Swingle, Helmuth Rilling, and Louis Langree, among many others.
They have performed as guests at many international festivals and venues, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and the Versailles Opera Paris, and with ensembles such as the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Salzburg Camerata, among others.
They have produced several acclaimed recordings. Among other public honours and recognition, the EPCC has won the Grammy Award for Best Choral Recording twice, (both times with pieces by Arvo Pärt).
The Program
The concert includes the work of three composers.
Arvo Pärt was named, for the second year in a row, as the most performed living composer in 2023. The concert includes his pieces:
- Magnificat,
- Nunc Dimittis,
- Dopo la Vittoria,
- Kanon Pokajanen.
Three excerpts from the piece Offertorium by Italian late Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (died 1594) are also on the program. The Offertorium is considered an early masterwork of 5-voice (SATTB) polyphonic choral composition, and was completed in 1593, just one year before the composer’s death.
Estonian/Canadian composer Omar Daniel’s world premiere, Antarktos Monodies, is based on the sonnet “Antarktos” by H. P. Lovecraft. It will be the second piece by Daniel that has been premiered by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir on its Toronto concert dates.
“The particular configuration of Pärt and Palestrina, presented for the first time in these tour performances, has been devised by Tõnu Kaljuste. The maestro’s experience in programming and conducting Pärt’s repertoire is unmatched. He, and the ensembles he founded (the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra) have recorded standard-bearing performances of Pärt’s work for the past three decades. But Kaljuste’s experience with early composers runs exceptionally deep as well. Few indeed would be as worthy as him to program and conduct February’s concert,” states Peter Bouteneff, D.Phil., Arvo Pärt Project.
Find tickets and more information about the concert [HERE].
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