Tõnu Kaljuste

The founder of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conductor Tõnu Kaljuste is a major exponent of Estonian contemporary music. His father was the conductor of the Ellerhein Chamber Choir, and the younger Kaljuste had his first musical experiences as a singer in that group. Prior to his graduation in 1976, he had already taken over direction of the Ellerhein Chamber Choir from his father, later renaming it the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. In 1992, Kaljuste made the first of many recordings for the ECM label, leading the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir on the album Veljo Tormis: Forgotten Peoples. He formed the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra the following year. His 2012 recording of Arvo Pärt's Adam's Lament won a Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. Kaljuste returned in 2023 with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducting Tormis' Reminiscentiae.