Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra
The Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra was formed in September 2013. Under the baton of Martin Sildos about 40 students, alumni and staff members play in the orchestra. During its short period of existence, the orchestra has quickly risen to a high artistic level, with a wide-ranging and demanding concert repertoire and a busy performance schedule to prove it.
The Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra is the only adult amateur symphony orchestra in Tallinn.
The orchestra has collaborated with university orchestras from Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, and Germany, as well as student choirs from Italy and the Netherlands.
The orchestra has a close partnership with the Baltic Film and Media School, recording music for the school's students' short films every year. The orchestra has also recorded music for the Finnish/Estonian documentary "Lynxman" which won the NORDIC:DOX Award - Honorable Mention in 2023. For its diverse and extensive concert activities, the orchestra was awarded the Estonian Symphony Orchestras' annual prize in 2015, and the title of Tallinn University's best creative project in 2015 and 2017.
In Münster, the orchestra is joined by alumni members from Germany, who have come to Estonia from Germany due to their studies or work in previous seasons.
Martin Sildos
Conductor Martin Sildos (1985) is presently conductor in Theatre of Vanemuine and chief conductor of Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra. Through his conducting career he has conducted many other symphony orchestras such as Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), Pärnu City Orchestra, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Symphony Orchestra as well as Corelli Baroque Orchestra and Corelli Sinfonietta Orchestra. Alongside with orchestras he has also worked with many choirs such as Estonian National Male Choir, Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Choir, Chamber Choir Voces Musicales, Revalia Chamber Male Choir, Nargen Festival Choir.
Since the Autumn of 2014 he has been working in the Vanemuine Theatre where his first production as a musical-director and conductor in an international team was “The Phantom of the Opera '' (premiere in 2014) by A. L. Webber. His other works as a musical-director are “Lotte in Dreamland '' (by P. Pajusaar, premiered in 2015), ballet “Snow Queen” music by O. Respighi, Z. Kodaly and G. Rossini and choreography by M. Tommingas and Silas Stubbs (premiere in 2015), “Les Miserables'' by C.- M. Schönberg (premier in 2017), “Sweeney Todd'' by S. Sondheim (premiering in 2018), “Beauty and the Beast'' by A.Menken (premiering in 2018), ballet “Moorland Elegies” music by T. Kõrvits and choreography by W. Yuanyuan’s (premiering in 2019), “The Nutcracker” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (premier in 2023). As a conductor he is involved with operas such as “Aida” by G. Verdi (premier in 2015) and “Madama Butterfly” G. Puccini (premier in 2019), “Linda di Chaomunix'' G. Donizetti (premiering in
2021), “Carmen” by G. Bizet and also in ballets such as “Romeo and Juliet” by S. Prokofyev’s, “Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky, “The Firebird” I. Stravinsky, “Ash White” (premiering in 2023) music by G. Holst (The Planets) and E. Elgar (The Enigma Variations) and more.
In 2013 he was one of the co-founders of Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra and has been conducting there ever since. The program with this orchestra varies from Estonian music such as “Three Symphonic Runos” by Anti Marguste to “Carmina Burana” (Carl Orff) and Antonin Dvorak Symphony No 8, epic film music and more.
With the Corelli Baroque Orchestra he has performed many baroque-era masterpieces such as “Messiah” and “Resurrection” by G. F. Händel, “Missa Bruxellensis” by H. I. F. Biber, “Stabat Mater” by G. B. Pergolesi, “Ode for St Cecilia's Day” by H. Purcell and more.
In the Summer 2015 he made his debut with Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and in the Autumn of 2015 he was the assistant of maestro Neeme Järvi with the programme “Legendary - Estonian Composers Union 90”.
In the Summer of 2017 Sildos made his conducting debut in the XII Youth Song- and Dance Festival “Mina jään” where he conducted the Youth Symphony Orchestra that consisted of up to 1000 players.
In the years of 1993-2000 Sildos studied percussion in Tallinn Music School (teacher Anto Õnnis) and continued his percussion studies in Tallinn Music School of Georg Ots (teacher Rein Roos). From 2004 to 2007 he worked as a percussionist in The Estonian National Opera. In 2005 he started his studies in The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as a percussionist, and finished the university in 2010 with the bachelor’s degree in choir conducting (prof Toomas Kapten). In 2011 to 2012 he studied in The Universität für darstellende kunst musik Wien with professor Uroš Lajovic. In June of 2012 he got his Masters Degree in The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as a symphony orchestra conductor (prof Toomas Kapten).
Tallinn
