Over the past few weeks, several articles and opinion pieces about the inner workings of the Estonian National Opera have sparked controversy. In light of those discussions, I think it would be worthwhile to also raise a broader question: How does Estonia's music culture function in 2026? Not to offer a single, definitive solution, but to ask questions that deserve open discussion, fresh ideas for improving the situation and clear goals to ensure sustainable development.

For years, I have worked as both a singer and a conductor outside Estonia and I regularly speak with colleagues in the field. One issue that keeps coming up in virtually every conversation is the stagnation of leadership and organizational culture in Estonia.

Fortunately, we have left behind the Soviet Union's mandatory job placement system. Even so, it seems to me that we are now facing a different unreasonable situation: the lack of open competitions for publicly funded positions. It would not be accurate to say they never take place, but they remain the exception rather than the rule.

This raises the question of how specialists are hired for positions when no public announcement or advertisement of the vacancy has been made. That does not mean the best candidates should not also be invited personally to participate or that colleagues, acquaintances and friends should not be encouraged to apply. But the starting point should be a public job posting and publicly available application information. If there is concern about receiving too many unqualified applicants, sufficiently high qualification requirements can always be established.

There is also the impression that decision-making processes are often not transparent, competition criteria are not clearly defined and significant conflicts of interest exist. As a result, it can feel as though objective opinions are in short supply and decision-makers are not neutral, making conflicts inevitable.

There are many ways to address this situation and our neighboring countries actively use them. One example is the entrance examinations for the choral conducting program at the Sibelius Academy in the spring of 2026. During the examinations, applicants' former and current instructors left the room and did not participate in the decision-making process concerning their own students.

In Finland, as well as in Germany, it is also common practice for applicants to teaching positions in singing or conducting, for example, to give several demonstration lessons, providing a better picture of their teaching skills and methods. Students who participate in those lessons also have a voice in the evaluation process and selection committees are diverse in terms of both gender and age. In addition, specialists, including experts from other institutions, are involved to assess candidates' communication and teaching abilities. Potential conflicts of interest are carefully considered and if there is a risk of bias, those individuals are recused from evaluating a particular candidate — for example, a teacher evaluating their own student.

Based on what I have heard and read about the experiences of Estonian musicians, it is hard to believe that, even in modern Estonia, committees making hiring decisions may comment on a person's appearance, sexual orientation, health conditions, gender, race or whom they associate with outside of work. In such situations, a neutral human resources professional should be present to ensure that the process remains ethical, humane and in line with social norms and the law.

I have heard the argument that if I own a company, I should be free to decide whom I hire. Yes, if someone is the sole owner and there is no management board or supervisory board, that is understandable. But that argument does not seem appropriate when it comes to publicly funded musical organizations. Moreover, is the risk of creating a toxic workplace and unhealthy organizational culture really worth it? When we are talking about the public sector, financed by the state or municipalities, there are clear laws and rules that apply.

In Estonia's classical music scene, influence and decision-making power are often concentrated in the hands of the same cultural figures across various committees, societies and associations. Not to mention that while elsewhere in the world appointments are often made for fixed terms to ensure rotation and create space for innovation, in Estonia some people may remain in the same positions for decades — figuratively speaking, until the day they die.

Unfortunately, this creates fertile ground for guild-like structures and closed circles to emerge.

When a system is characterized by strong mutual protection and those in leadership positions hold economic, social and symbolic power, people become reluctant to propose ideas for renewing the system and improving the environment.

How can we create trust, open communication, collegiality and opportunities to draw attention to problems without risking our names, reputations and jobs or facing accusations of jealousy?

And how can we discuss concerns and problems in a way that leaves everyone feeling they have truly been heard? How can we ensure that responses address the actual questions raised instead of shifting the discussion to the general problem of culture being underfunded or returning once again to the familiar scapegoat of demographic challenges and the lack of cultural workers in smaller regions of Estonia?

Gender discrimination, misogyny, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace bullying are, unfortunately, also pressing issues. Statements such as "quality comes first, then your well-being and mental health," or personally attacking, humiliating and degrading forms of dark humor should no longer have a place in our workplaces. Nor can these issues continue to be excused indefinitely by citing generational differences or claiming that "the music world simply works differently" or "this is how things have always been done."

There are many successful systems and methods around the world from which we can learn, as well as institutions whose advice we can seek. Estonia also has many musicians who have studied and worked abroad and are capable of bringing fresh perspectives and new developments into our existing systems.

My goal is not to claim that everything is always better elsewhere. But an open and diverse environment fosters innovation and creates stronger foundations for success. The more we make use of these opportunities and the more different approaches we are willing to try, the greater the likelihood that our music culture will remain competitive internationally while continuing to offer the highest standards to audiences here at home.

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