Olari Elts (1971)
studied flute and choral conducting (prof. Kuno Areng),
graduating from the Estonian Academy of Music as a choral
conductor in 1993. The same year he continued his studies at the
Academy, this time as an orchestra conductor (Paul Mägi). 1994 -
1996 he studied orchestra conducting also under Prof. Uros
Lajovic at the Vienna Academy of Music. He has participated in
courses of Prof. Jorma Panula in Estonia.
From the very beginning of his career he has been playing a significant part in the musical life of Estonia. The Mainor Chamber Choir that he founded in 1988 and directed for six years, won several prizes at choral competitions and made its mark with its demanding concert programs ranging from the early Baroque music to works by Arnold Schönberg and Olivier Messiaen. In 1995 Olari Elts was awarded the first prise in the competition for young choral conductors in Tallinn.
In 1993 Olari Elts founded a contemporary music group called NYYD-Ensemble (nyyd, pro nüüd - now in Estonian) which has become his main field of activities. They have performed works by Stravinsky, Martinu, Varése, Boulez, Berio, Ligeti, Reich, Torke, Montague, Etkin and Hellawell;keen attention is paid to Estonian music (Pärt, Tamberg, Rääts, Sumera, Kangro, Tüür, etc.). The line-up of NYYD-Ensemble varies according to the piece they are performing: wind and string quintets plus a pianist and a percussion player form the core of the ensemble; on a larger scale it comprises nearly 30 young instrumentalists.
Olari Elts has carried out several joint projects, using both NYYD-Ensemble and EPCC (Svadebka by Igor Stravinsky can be one example). In the season '96/97 a larger concert series Vox Nova was held, consisting of 6 different programs of temporary music (- have a look at the schedule).The artistic director of the series was Olari Elts, who appeared simultanously a guest principal conductor for the season.
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