TOOMAS SIITAN

Guest Conductor in 1997/98

Toomas Siitan (1958) graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music (Tallinn State Conservatoire) in 1981 as a composer, but since then has mostly been occupied as a musicologist. From 1986 onwards he has been teaching music history at the Estonian Academy of Music, today he continues his post-graduate studies at Lund University, Sweden. Scientific journals of many European countries have published his articles. He is active as the head of the board of The Estonian Musicological Society and as a board member of International Fellowship for Research in Hymnology.

Since 1994 The Haapsalu Early Music Festival is held every first week of July. Toomas Siitan is one of the initiators and the artistic director of the event.

In the years 1976-1988 Toomas Siitan was singing in the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, getting his first experience of choir-conducting there. During last five years he has been conducting various groups, like the Estonian Radio Choir (1993), the chamber choir Arsis (1994), the Chamber Choir of Estonian Choral Society (1995), the Estonian National Male Choir (1996-97), Haapsalu Festival Choir and Tallinn Baroque Orchestra (1995 and 1997). Under his leading the ensemble Studio Vocale is engaged with vocal music in concert style from baroque era; at the 11th Tallinn Organ Festival in August 1997 the group and Tallinn Baroque Orchestra performed all twelve extant cantatas by Nicolaus Bruhns (1665 - 1697).

In the concert season 1997/98 Toomas Siitan has been asked to carry out the concert series "Vox Antiqua" as a guest conductor at the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. The series introduces several highlights in different styles of European music for vocal ensembles from 13th to 17th century. The organums by Perotinus and Messe de Nostre Dame by Guillaume de Machaut, the first programme, just as the Requiem by Johannes Ockegheim and his coevals' funeral music, the second programme, will be performed adapted for traditional mixed choir and groups of soloists a cappella. The third programme consists of latin motets for up to 20 voices by Orlandus Lassus and his German contemporaries Hans Leo Hassler, Hieronymus Praetorius and Melchior Franck.

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