Interview with Mikk Üleoja, chief conductor of the Estonian National Male Choir.

"The Estonian National Male Choir has had a very busy musical summer, especially in July, but also already before Midsummer’s Day. We participated in the Suure-Jaani Music Festival and at the end of June gave a concert in Haapsalu, where we celebrated Olav Ehala’s upcoming jubilee. Then came the Estonian National Song Celebration, in which we took part with full dedication. Already the following week, right after the festival, we performed three more concerts, having previously sung outdoors for four days among large crowds. This could almost be called a kind of endurance test, as the workload was hardly humane.

Perhaps the audience has heard about the international vocal music symposium Leading Voices held in Tallinn, during which many foreign guests also attended the Estonian National Song Celebration events. The symposium included workshops and concerts, among them our concert right after the Estonian National Song Celebration on Monday, as part of the Leading Voices program. For this occasion, we had to prepare a program consisting of strong and impactful pieces—effective, but not cheap or superficial. I believe we succeeded well. The program included Veljo Tormis’s “Kalendrilaulud” and “Raua needmine,” as well as Giovanni Bonato’s “Deep Peace.”

Since then, starting from Midsummer or a bit earlier, we have been constantly busy. Before the rest period, arriving at the end of July and continuing into August, three more performances await us. Currently, we are preparing for a concert at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa, after which we will record Arvo Pärt’s “Credo” and conclude the season in Kärdla. Although it is part of the Pühalepa Festival, our concert will take place in Kärdla Church, as Pühalepa Church is a bit too small for our ensemble."

The concert "Tormis & Pärt" will take place on July 19 at 17:00 at the Arvo Pärt Centre.

"However, the concert series begins with the Arvo Pärt Centre concert held a few days earlier. As is well known, this year we celebrate the jubilees of two Estonian composers Veljo Tormis and Arvo Pärt. The concert program originated from the initiative of the Arvo Pärt Centre. they wished to see and hear us in Laulasmaa with a program dedicated specifically to the works of these two jubilees.

But here came the question: how to compile a program from the music of two composers when one, Arvo Pärt, has written only one piece for male choir? Namely, “De Profundis,” which also requires organ and percussion. Although we have previously performed “Da Pacem” (in a transposed version) and “And One of the Pharisees” (originally for countertenor, tenor, and bass), a cappella repertoire remains limited. Therefore, we started cooperating with the Arvo Pärt Centre to possibly bring some of his mixed- and women’s choir works arranged for male choir.

We agreed on three pieces: two originally for mixed choir, one for women’s choir. One arrangement was done by Kuldar Schüts, and two were adapted for male choir by Tauno Aints. All arrangements are now ready, and Michael Pärt has given his initial approval. We look forward to the concert at the Arvo Pärt Centre on July 19 to see whether we can also use these arrangements in the future. We sincerely hope so.

It is important to emphasize that these are not major rewrites but mostly transpositions. For example, the women’s choir piece “Zwei Beter” has only been altered in voice distribution and key, while Arvo Pärt’s musical text remains untouched. Mixed choir pieces are a bit more complicated, the vocal range of mixed choirs is wide, so adapting for male voices is a challenge. Even here, changes are minimal and mostly involve rearranging parts, no new notes or pitches were added. This is a serious challenge for us but also a great joy, as practicing these works has been very inspiring.

The concert consists of works by both jubilees. From the start, I wanted the program to create thematic parallels or explore the composers’ works from different perspectives. One example is Tormis’s “Song of a Level Land” and Arvo Pärt’s “Which was the son of…”. At first glance, they seem different, but both deal with ancestry. Tormis emphasizes a sense of belonging tied to land and nation. Pärt, on the other hand, uses Catholic liturgical text, where during Advent the genealogy of Jesus is read back to Adam and finally God—naming all ancestors one by one. The themes are similar but presented very differently. There are many such interesting dialogues in the concert program."

The 2025 Pühalepa Music Festival is dedicated to the 90th birthday of Arvo Pärt and the 95th anniversary of Veljo Tormis.
The Estonian National Male Choir concert of the XIV Pühalepa Music Festival will take place on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 6 PM in Kärdla Church, Hiiumaa.

The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Hiiumaa Municipality, Liviko, and Selver. The organizer of the festival is Kerema Kultuurikoda NGO.
Tickets: €25/€20 are available via Piletilevi and at the venue before the concert. More information: www.keremakultuurikoda.ee

The interview was conducted by Kristel Peikel (14 July 2025).