EFK back from whistle-stop 24-concert international tour
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EFK) has returned from a months-long concert tour, visiting nine countries in Europe and North America and performing 24 dates, in 21 cities.
Esper Linnamägi, head of SA Eesti Filharmoonia Kammerkoor, told ERR's Kultuur portal: "This really has been a major, long-haul effort."
"Tours get prepared a year or two in ahead of time, but now it just so happened that we had several of them all happening in the same time frame."
This was not something beyond the choir's capabilities, however, or that of those involved in music more generally, Linnamägi went on.
""For such a small population, we have a lot to give," he said.
"Sometimes we hear about how many billion-dollar turnover startups we have per person [in Estonia], but I think something much greater is how many top composers we have, who will endure for centuries; who will be listened to for the next hundred years and even beyond."
"What distinguishes us from the other nations is what we have to offer here. A chamber choir is an instrument that can propagate this worldwide, and at the highest quality," Linnamägi continued.
The EFK had mostly toured the US, Canada, Germany, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands in February and March this year.
In the Netherlands alone, the choir's partner organization coordinated its major tours via an association consisting of 16 concert halls. "Thanks to this, we have discovered various different and new concert venues," Linnamägi said.
"Remaining constantly in shape is a challenge, but we managed," Linnamägi referenced as one of the challenges facing singers, primarily meaning issues of losing their singing voices during such an arduous schedule.
Audiences worldwide are very drawn to the works of Estonian composers, Linnamägi added. "For an audience, there is always the joy of discovery in seeing and hearing something completely different from the mainstream."
"Our concerts primarily attract an informed and prepared audience, but there are also those who come to uncover something new. In this way, Estonia is very interesting, as classical music here is also consumed by a younger audience," he said.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Annika Remmel
Source: 'Vikerhommik,' interviewer Piret Kooli.
