Vox Clamantis • Estonian Music Week 2025

The Grammy-winning vocal ensemble brings their mastery of Gregorian chant and contemporary compositions to Estonian Music Week, with a special program featuring works by Arvo Pärt in celebration of his 90th birthday. As well as the anniversary of Lembit Avesson (100) and Veljo Tormis (95).

Formed in 1996, ensemble VOX CLAMANTIS comprises a diversity of musicians – singers, composers, instrumentalists, and conductors – who have a common interest in the Gregorian chant. Next to the Gregorian chant, considered to be the foundation of all European professional music culture, Vox Clamantis often performs early polyphony and contemporary music. 

The programme will feature works by Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Lembit Avesson, Helena Tulve and Riho Esko Maimets.

Vox Clamantis has recorded for ECM Records and Mirare. The CD «Arvo Pärt - Adam’s Lament» has won GRAMMY-Award for Best Choral Performance in 2014. The film featuring Vox Clamantis music, «The Great Beauty» (La Grande Bellezza), received an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Concert tours have taken Vox Clamantis to the entire world. 

Their album Adam's Lament by Arvo Pärt with Tõnu Kaljuste, Latvian Radio Choir and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir won a Grammy Award in 2014. The choir also received National Culture Award of the Republic of Estonia in 2017. 

The artistic director and conductor of Vox Clamantis is JAAN-EIK TULVE.

Jaan-Eik Tulve was born in Tallinn (Estonia). After obtaining his diploma in choral conducting at the Tallinn Conservatory in 1991, he learned to conduct Gregorian chant at Le Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSM), where he had the diploma in 1993. He then worked at the CNSM as assistant to Louis-Marie Vigne, who had a determining influence on his musical development. He has also given many courses in Gregorian Chant, in France, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Scotland, the Faeroe Islands, Israel, Tasmania, Lithuania, Finland, and Estonia. In 1996 he took up a post teaching Gregorian Chant at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is often invited to conduct work sessions in monasteries. In his musical training – Gregorian, in particular – Jaan-Eik Tulve has learned a great deal from his work in common with Dom Daniel Saulnier of Solesmes Abbey.

Many of the recordings made with Vox Clamantis have received great critical acclaim (Diapason d’Or in France, Album of the Year Award in Estonia, nomination for the BBC Music Magazine Award and the Danish Classical Radio Award). Jaan-Eik Tulve has also conducted Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Estonian National Male Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Helsinki Chamber Choir, ensemble Hortus Musicus, etc. Jaan-Eik Tulve was chosen as the Musician of the Year 2017 by music editors of the Estonian Public Broadcasting.

Doors open: 7pm
Show starts: 8pm

The concert will last approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

Balcony seats are general admission, Floor section has assigned seating.

Estonian Music Week 2025 festival

This concert is part of the Estonian Music Week (EMW) festival programme running May 22-25. Experience it all with a Festival Pass - 8 concerts from incredible Estonian and Canadians artists. Learn more about festival passes. With performances from folktronica to contemporary classical music, EMW is sure to become your new favourite early-summer music festival. Explore the line-up here.

EMW is made possible by:

Project:

Estonian Museum Canada / VEMU, Tartu College

Major funder:

Estonian Foundation of Canada

Funders:

Toronto Arts Council, Estonian Embassy in Ottawa, Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Sponsors:

Northern Birch Credit Union

Presenting Partners:

SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival, Wavelength, Humber Polytechnic's Centre for Creative Business Innovation, The Cotton Factory

Media Partners:

Eesti Elu, Exclaim!, WholeNote

Ticketing Partner:

Sviby