Virge Joamets

Music historian, ECU member since 2021
Born on 20.03.1969

Virge Joamets is a member of the Estonian Musicological Society (since 1992), the Eduard Tubin Society (since 2019), the Estonian Music Teachers’ Association (since 2020), and the Estonian Association of Language Editors (since 2023).

Virge Joamets graduated from the Heino Eller Tartu Music School in 1989, specialising in music theory, and from the Estonian Academy of Music in 1998 with a degree in musicology, under the supervision of Merike Vaitmaa. In 2023, she completed a microdegree programme in language editing at the University of Tartu.

In 1995, she worked as a music editor for Sirp (then known as Kultuurileht). From 1997 to 2009, she taught music history, including Estonian music history, at the Heino Eller Music School. Since 2012, she has been an editor of the magazine Muusika, also working as a language editor and proofreader since 2017.

Publications and Written Works

She has published articles in various genres, including reviews, translations, and interviews, in Muusikaleht, Sirp, Muusika, and Teater. Muusika. Kino (TMK). She was among the compilers and contributors to the Estonian Music Biographical Lexicon (Volume 1, 2007; Volume 2, 2008) and the online Estonian Theatre Biographical Lexicon. She was also the principal author of the multimedia encyclopaedia Estonian Music (2004).

She has compiled numerous programme books for concerts and festivals, including the Estonian Composers’ Union’s concert series Estonian Composers’ Union 90, Estonian Music Days, Pärnu Music Festival, TubIN, Klaver, Afekt, the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians’ festivals Virmalised, Estonian Music Week and the Estonian Performers’ Festival, Rudolf Tobias 150 and Rudolf Tobias 151, Urmas Sisask 60: Journey to the Heart of the Universe, the Heino Eller Music School’s anniversary celebrations, and the production Kingdom (Kuningriik) staged at the Elva Song Festival Grounds.

She has also prepared programme notes for numerous individual concerts, including those organised by the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. In addition, she has written introductory texts for J. Strauss’s operetta A Night in Venice, performed at the Estonian National Opera, and the Vanemuine Theatre’s summer production A Possible Encounter (Võimalik kohtumine).

Books and major publications

  • Vanemuine Music Theatre Through the Ages: 150 Selected Productions (Vanemuise muusikateater aegade peeglis. 150 valitud lavastust), Vanemuine, 2020.
  • Compiler of Heino Eller Tartu Music School 85 (2004) and Heino Eller Tartu Music School 90 (2009), as well as the exhibition Heino Eller Tartu Music School 90 (2009).
  • Article Musical Life in Tartu in the 20th Century, published in Tartu: History and Cultural History (Tartu City Museum, 2005).
  • A series of articles on the history of the University of Tartu Assembly Hall as a concert venue, published in Teater. Muusika. Kino (2012, No. 5; 2013, Nos. 1, 3, and 4).

Exhibitions

She has curated several exhibitions for Eesti Kontsert:

  • Richard Strauss 150 (2013).
  • The History of Keyboard Instruments I: Precursors of the Piano (2014).
  • The History of Keyboard Instruments II: The Piano (2016).
  • Piano Solo (2018).

CD liner notes and other publications

  • Märt-Matis Lill: Jooned vaikuses / Lines in Silence (Märt-Matis Lill, 2015).
  • Estonian Music Week: Artur Lemba, Ester Mägi, Eino Tamberg, Erkki-Sven Tüür (Association of Estonian Professional Musicians, 2023).
  • Elis Hallik: Born in Waves (Kairos, 2024) — editor and author of Elis Hallik’s biography.
  • An overview of Estonian choral music published in the German magazine Chorzeit (2026, No. 1).

Books Edited and Language-Edited

  • Chronicle of the Ots School: 100 Years of Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (Otsa kooli ajaraamat. 100 aastat Georg Otsa nimelist Tallinna Muusikakooli), Georg Ots Tallinn Music School, 2019.
  • Tõnn Sarv, Towards Eternity: Writings (Igaviku poole. Kirjutisi), 2020.
  • Alive. Resonant. Creative. Estonian Composers’ Union 100 (Elav. Helisev. Loov. Eesti Heliloojate Liit 100), Estonian Composers’ Union, 2025.
  • Mihhail Gerts, Eduard Tubin’s Formative Years (Eduard Tubina kujunemisaastad), Heino Eller Music School, 2025.
  • Äli-Ann Klooren, 90 Years of Collected Music: The Story of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Library (90 aastat kogutud muusikat. Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia raamatukogu lugu), Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, 2025.
  • Aita Teigar, Riburada: The One-Row Accordion in Estonia (Riburada: üherealine lõõtspill Eestis), 2026.

Awards and Recognition

  • Tartu Cultural Achievement Awards 2025 — Nominee in the Cultural Coverage category (2026).
  • Wikipedia Language Editing Competition 2026 — Best Newcomer Award.