Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) is a professional

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

based in

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

. It was founded in 1981 by

Tõnu Kaljuste Tõnu Kaljuste (born August 28, 1953) is an Estonian conductor. Born in Tallinn, Kaljuste is the son of Heino Kaljuste (1925–1989), an Estonian choral conductor, and Lia Kaljuste, a radio journalist. Tõnu sang in his father's choirs as a chil ...

, who was its conductor for twenty years. In 2001,

Paul Hillier Paul Douglas Hillier OBE (born 9 February 1949) is an English conductor, music director and baritone. He specializes in both early and contemporary classical music, especially that by composers Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt. He was a co-foun ...

followed Kaljuste's tenure, becoming the EPCC's principal conductor and artistic director until September 2008, when

Daniel Reuss Daniel Reuss (born 2 July 1961, in Leiden)Biography
at allmusic.com. is a Gregorian Chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...

to modern works, particularly those of the Estonian composers

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

and

Veljo Tormis Veljo Tormis (7 August 1930 – 21 January 2017) was an Estonian composer, regarded as one of the great contemporary choral composers and one of the most important composers of the 20th century in Estonia.Daitz, Mimi. Ancient Song Recovered: The ...

. The group has been nominated for numerous

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s, and has won the

Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance The Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance has been awarded since 1961. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time: *In 1961 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Choral (including oratorio) *Fro ...

twice: in 2007 with

's ''Da pacem'' and in 2014 with Pärt's ''

Adam's Lament Adam's Lament is an old Russian Orthodox lament, originally sung during Lent. Manuscripts of the lament date from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. The lament tells Adam's regret over the loss of paradise.John-Paul Himka, Andriy Zayarnyuk Let ...

'', the latter was shared with Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu, Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis. In 2018 Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir won the prestigious

Gramophone Award The Gramophone Classical Music Awards, launched in 1977, are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry. They are often viewed as equivalent to or surpassing the American Grammy award, and refer ...

with its recording of ''Magnificat'' and ''Nunc dimittis'' by

and ''Psalms of Repentance'' by

Alfred Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, link=no, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer of Jewish-German descent. Among the most performed and re ...

(conductor Kaspars Putniņš).

Discography

*'' Gesualdo/

Erkki-Sven Tüür Erkki-Sven Tüür (born 16 October 1959) is an Estonian composer. Life and career Tüür () was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition w ...

Brett Dean Brett Dean (born 23 October 1961) is an Australian composer, violist and conductor. Biography Brett Dean was born, raised and educated in Brisbane. He started learning violin at the age of eight, and later studied viola with Elizabeth Morgan a ...

'' (2015) *'' Gregory Rose: Danse macabre'' (2015) *''

Sibelius Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

: Complete Works for Mixed Choir'' (2015) *''Siin on Ilus Elada'' (2014) *''Baltic Runes'' (2010) *''

: In Principio'' (2009) *'' Toivo Tulev: Songs'' (2008) *''Scattered Rhymes:

Tarik O'Regan Tarik Hamilton O'Regan (; born 1 January 1978) is a British and American composer. His compositions number over 100 and are partially represented on 43 recordings which have been recognised with two Grammy nominations. He is also the recipien ...

Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...

'' (2008) *''A New Joy'' (2006) *Arvo Pärt: ''Da pacem'' (2006) - won

2007 *''Baltic Voices 3'' (2005) *

Lepo Sumera Lepo Sumera (8 May 1950 – 2 June 2000) was an Estonian composer and teacher. Life and career He was born in Tallinn and studied with Veljo Tormis in his teens, and from 1968, with Heino Eller at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (t ...

: ''Mushroom Cantata'' (2005) *

Rachmaninov Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

: ''

All-Night Vigil The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches consisting of an aggregation of the canonical hours of Compline (in Greek usage only), Vespers (or, on a few occasions, Great Compline), Matins, and the First H ...

'' (2005) *''Baltic Voices 2'' (2004) *''The Powers of Heaven'' (2003) *

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

: ''Gloria'', Settings from the Mass and Vespers (2003) *''Baltic Voices 1'' (2002) *Antonio Vivaldi: ''Salmi a due cori'' (2002) *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

: ''

Litaniae Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Judaic worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin '' litania'' from Ancient Greek λιτανεία (''lita ...

'' (2000) *Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: ''Vesperae et Litania'' (2000) *Veljo Tormis: ''Laulu palju'' (''Liederhaufen'') (2000) *

Paul Giger Paul Giger (born 1952 in Herisau, Switzerland), is a Swiss violinist and composer. He plays contemporary classical music, jazz, and free improvised music, and specializes in extended techniques. He has released six CDs on the ECM label and co ...

: ''Ignis'' (2000) *Veljo Tormis: ''Litany to Thunder'' (1999) *

Karl August Hermann Karl August Hermann (23 September 1851 – 11 January 1909) was an Estonian writer, publicist, linguist and composer. Biography Hermann was born in Võhmanõmme, Põltsamaa Parish, Kreis Fellin in 1851. He studied at the Faculty of Theology o ...

Raimo Kangro Raimo Kangro (21 September 1949 Tartu – 4 February 2001 Ruila, Harju County) was an Estonian composer. He composed mainly instrumental works and operas. In 1968 he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition speciality. 1989-2001 ...

Leelo Tungal Leelo Tungal (born 22 June 1947 in Tallinn) is an Estonian poet, children's writer, translator, editor and librettist. Life and career Tungal studied Estonian literature at the University of Tartu. After her graduation, she has worked as a tea ...

: ''Eesti lauleldused'' (''Estonian

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...

s'') (1999) *Arvo Pärt: '' Kanon Pokajanen'' (1998) *Arvo Pärt: ''Beatus'' (1997) *Veljo Tormis: ''Casting a Spell'' (1996) *Arvo Pärt: ''Litany'' (1996) *

: ''Crystallisatio'' (1996) *''Kaunimad laulud'' (''The Most Beautiful Songs'') (1994) *Arvo Pärt: ''

Te Deum The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Chur ...

'' (1993) *Veljo Tormis: ''Forgotten Peoples'' (1992) *

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

: ''

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Rachmaninoff) Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31 (russian: Литургия Иоанна Златоуста), is a 1910 musical work by Sergei Rachmaninoff, one of his two major unaccompanied choral works (the other being his All-Night Vigil). The Divine ...

'' (2022)

External links

* * Musical groups established in 1981 Contemporary classical music ensembles National choirs Estonian choirs 1981 establishments in Estonia Estonian classical music groups {{Estonia-stub