A London-based classical music review website has, for the second year running, named Arvo Pärt the year's most-performed living composer. Bachtrack.com put the 77-year-old Estonian in 54th place overall in its "Concert and Opera League Tables 2012," a list created from a sampling of 12,597 concerts and 4,451 opera performances.  "[The] table contains the composers who featured in the greatest number of concerts during the year: a composer gets an entry if at least one work was performed in a given concert," the article accompanying the rankings said. 

Details

Published: February 04 2013

 

At its 60th Anniversary Gala in September 2012, The Estonian American National Council (EANC) announced that it would distribute a portion of the Gala proceeds to the Long Island Estonian Children’s Summer Camp and the Estonian American Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. On December 15 at the “Järvemetsa” Christmas celebration in Lakewood, New Jersey,  EANC Board member Ilmar Vanderer presented checks to Leena Kangro and Tina Fischgrund for the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts.   The Long Island Estonian Children’s Summer Camp also received its special donation check from EANC last month.    

Details

Published: January 21 2013

 

Have you considered popping some suir as part of a healthier New Year's regime? Or tried sõir as an appetizer (eel/roog)? They're both made for consumption with great care and love. When I first typed sõir into my internet search engine (otsingu/mootor), the only hits I got were for soir – evening in French. And I have to admit, I kept forgetting "that other word" (suir), that I've wanted to simultaneously introduce for a while, since it's so similar and most likely just as new to readers. Are they both fringe delicacies? Well, suir (bee pollen), also known as mesilaste leib (bee bread) is not eaten for its great taste. In fact it's kibe (bitter), some say hapu (sour) and magically, naturally hapendatud (fermented) by the bee's secret ingredient, an amazing lactic acid bacteria (piim/happe/bakter).

Details

Published: January 21 2013

 

Wrapping up the old year well might be more important to Estonians than a spectacular start to the new. Depending of course on how superstitious you are. Why else do Estonians wish each other "Head vana-aasta lõppu" – "Happy end of the old year", up until the clock has struck midnight on New Year's Eve? That's not heard in English-speaking countries. No need to get ahead of ourselves, just in case. Similarly, the tradition of baby showers is a foreign concept in Eesti. Once the child has arrived, a visit is made to meet him or her, called katsikud, katsikule minek.

Details

Published: January 13 2013

 

 (Washington, DC) -  The Joint Baltic American National Committee, Inc. (JBANC), representing the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian communities in the United States, enthusiastically applauds the passage of the Magnitsky Act in the U.S. Congress, and the signing of the Act into law by President Barack Obama on Dec. 14.

Details

Published: January 01 2013

Opening the November-December 2012 Concert Series

Seattle’s classical music lovers filled the Benaroya Symphony Hall to its capacity to hear Neeme Järvi conduct Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Arabella Steinbacher, violinist.  After Järvi’s first performance, Seattle Classical Music Critic, Philippa Kiraly, writing for the Seattle Times newspaper, summed up her observations as follows: “Remarkable violinist and conductor were masterful pair at the Seattle Symphony.  

Details

Published: January 01 2013

 

A recent gala hosted at the Estonian House on 34th Street in New York launched a project that promises to bring one of the most famed living Estonians in the world—composer Arvo Pärt— to Manhattan for an unprecedented concert–lecture series. The series will specifically explore the spiritual roots of Pärt’s music and will center on a concert at Carnegie Hall on May 31, 2014, with the composer and his wife, Nora, in attendance. The landmark performance will feature the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Tõnu Kaljuste.

Details

Published: January 01 2013

 

The Estonian American National Council has just published its first newsletter, containing news about its activities and about events, people and issues of interest to Estonian Americans. EANC plans to publish the free “EANC Newsletter” four times a year. In order to keep costs down, EANC will send as many future issues electronically as possible.  However, printed issues will continue to be mailed to subscribers who do not have e-mail. If you did not receive the December 2012 issue, the newsletter will be posted on www.estosite.org.  If you would like to be added to our mailing list, contact Linda Rink at 215-546-5863 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .   Please include your e-mail address in any correspondence.    

Details

Published: December 17 2012