Tallinn's successful school concert programme, a collaboration between UNESCO City of Music Tallinn and Eesti Kontsert, has come to an end this year, but will continue in 2023.

According to Kaarel Oja, Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, one of the main goals of the UNESCO City of Music is to provide opportunities for young people: opportunities to both make music and be part of it. "The series of school concerts initiated by Eesti Kontsert is an excellent initiative in this respect, bringing music closer to school children," said Oja.

The School Concerts programme aims to bring the experience of listening to music closer to students, thus complementing music education. The Estonian National Orchestra's legendary School Concerts series has reached many schools in the city with the support of Tallinn, a UNESCO City of Music, with a total of 43 concerts and 11 ensembles performing in the capital's schools between November and December. This season, almost 5,000 people listened to the concerts, which reached 40 schools, including Estonian-, Russian- and Ukrainian-language schools and schools for children with special needs.

Kertu Orro, Director of Eesti Kontsert, said she was pleased that the cooperation with Tallinn, a UNESCO City of Music, has got off to a great start and that the city values music. "We have been able to significantly expand the positive reach of our school concert programme, and this autumn we reached the European School and the Ukrainian-language Vabaduse School in addition to the Estonian and Russian-language schools in the capital. We are also very pleased to have reached schools for children with special needs. The feedback we received from them warmed our hearts a lot, and the teachers said that the children with special needs felt especially good after the concert that day," said Orro.

Artist Mick Pedaja, drummer Reigo Ahven, pianists Johan Randvere, Hando Nahkur, Karolina Aavik and Kärt Ruubel, clarinetist Marten Altrov, violist Xandi Van Dijk, cellist Villu Vihermäe, Estonian National Choir, violinist Hans Christian Aavik, composer Sander Mölder, trumpeter Neeme Ots and his students, Hortus Musicus, and a special programme for children by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra with Rasmus Puuri and Anu Lamb - all these musicians and collectives could be seen and heard in music classes in Tallinn's public schools.

The series of school concerts continues in spring. Next term, many of the artists and ensembles that visited schools in the autumn season will continue, as well as some new ones. Tallinn schools will have the opportunity to invite a variety of musicians such as Villu Vihermäe, Sander Mölder, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Estonian National Choir, Reigo Ahven, Sten Heinoja and Triinu Piirsalu, Momir Novakovic, Kirill Ogorodnikov and many others.

Tallinn joined the UNESCO Network of Cities of Music in 2021. Today, the network includes 59 cities. The Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra is a partner of the Estonian Concert and UNESCO Tallinn - A UNESCO City of Music for school concerts.

Photos by Siim Loog