Ave Hännikäinen

Ave Hännikäinen (alto) studied singing under the guidance of Ivo Kuusk and Urve Tauts, and attended singing classes with Uku Joller and Kaia Urb. Ave considers the beginning of her career as a singer to be when she was part of the Mainor chamber choir, led by the conductor Olari Elts. She appreciates the valuable tuition and experience gained from working under Olari which helped evolve her aesthetic and musical taste.

Ave has sung in the Estonian Radio Choir and the Estonian National Opera Choir. Since 1997 she has been a member of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. She has sung several solo parts in works by Arvo Pärt and Mozart. Overall, Ave is passionate about Baroque and jazz music, with her overwhelming favourite being ‘Goldberg Variations’ by J. S. Bach.